Forged in Love
by SnowieBearSnarl
Summary: Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang, the four members of Team RWBY have been in a romantic relationship together for years after a tragic event that leaves Ruby scarred for life brought them together as more than a team. Years since and the four of them are still together. This is their life. (Pollination minus Enabler (no Ruby x Yang))
1. Apart Together

The dense canopy blocked out most of the pale moonlight, leaving the forest floor steeped in darkness. Threatening sounds growled and hissed from all directions as a young woman walked alone through the trees. Her cape fluttered behind her in the gentle breeze, her senses on high alert, ready to face the horrors that undoubtedly surrounded her.

"Here we go." She smiled. In the next instant the woods fell into eerie silence, the rumbling of the monsters that hid in the dark quelled.

In a blur of motion she reached to her back and spun around! A large, strange looking sword slashed into the dark a howling yelp rang out as the blade cut into a beast, its glowing red eyes burning into her before its body dissolved.

A hint moonlight shined through a hole in the branches overhead, its light gleaming off her weapon. The sword was large, formed of two separate blades on each side with holes drilled incrementally along the outer length of the blades. Each blade was angled sharply and edged on the outside more like a typical sword, while facing inward towards the shaft that ran through the divide between them, the blades eased into long, arcing curves before meeting at the tip of the sword.

Despite the size of the sword, she swung it with ease and elegance. The forest fell silent again, around her she could feel the Grimm biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. _The Grimm here aren't stupid, that means they're probably older, which means they're stronger. I shouldn't let my guard down._

Before long, she could see them, dozens of red eyes peering through the darkness but still she was unfazed. She gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands and reared it back, readying to cut down anything the dare draw too near.

A hungry baying rang out from all around her, leaves crunched and twigs snapped as they encroached upon her. _Come and get it!_

Suddenly a raging inferno ignited from her sword! Each of the holes along the blades' lengths spewed forth fire, bathing the forest in a hot orange glow and illuminating the young woman! She had very short black hair and silver eyes. A burn scar trailed up from her neck to her forehead over her face, crossing over her right eye.

A red cape flowed behind her, fixed to her shoulders with two plates of armor. She wore a tank-top that shifted in gradient from black to white as it descended to her waist, beneath which she wore a two tiered white skirt with yellow at its hems. Her legs were covered with black stockings and at her feet she wore black combat boots with red laces. In the glow of the fire, two rubies glittered on her ears dangling from thin golden chains.

Around her she could hear the Grimm back away from the intense fire. _Alright, then I'll come to you!_

 _ **Whooosh!**_

She vanished in a blur, leaving a cloud of rose petals in her wake as she bolted into the trees. Coming to a skidding halt the woman went on the offensive! With a slash of her flaming sword she cut down one Grimm after another before speeding off again, each attack filling the dark forest with a bright orange flash, casting fleeting shadows over the leaf littered floor before she vanished again. The woods echoed with the dying screams of the monsters as she struck them down!

An Ursa reared up on its hind legs and swung down its massive paw down at her, but as though it weighed nothing, she countered with her sword, knocking its foreleg back before turning her entire body into the next slash, severing the beast in two along its torso! With a satisfied smile she snuffed the flames out on her sword. _Last one! That was-_

Before she could celebrate she heard a grumbling from behind her! Her heart skipped a beat as she spun around, throwing up her sword in front of her just before a powerful force knocked her back! _Oops, guess I missed that one._

An Alpha Beowolf loomed over her, it's jaw gaping as its claws reared back ready to slash into her. Fire again erupted from her blades as she readied to slay the monster. She stared it down, waiting for it to make the first move. Slowly it lurched forward and let out a low growl and swung down its claws!

 **Bang!**

A shot rang out and in the next instant a show blurred in and out of existence… and the monster's head fell from its body. Another young woman walked up from behind it, a thin blade in each hand, one dangling from a ribbon tied to her arm.

She had long, raven black hair with cat ears protruding from the top of her head. She wore a long white coat that shifted to a bright yellow at its hem in a fiery pattern, beneath which was a pitch black t-shirt. A bright red bandana was tied around her neck and at her waist a match red belt held up tattered black jeans. Her amber eyes glowed in the light of the fire as she smiled, putting the thinner blade into its sheath.

"Hey Ruby."

"Hey Blake, good timing!" Ruby grinned bashfully as Blake walked up to her. "So, I guess you finished clearing your sector already?"

"Yeah, figured I'd see if you could use a hand." Blake shrugged, still feeling happy to see her girlfriend despite her obvious attempt to deflect from the fact that she let a Beowolf sneak up on her. They'd been separated much of the night, the grim population in this area was a lot denser than they had been told going into this mission.

"Watch out!" Ruby's eyes narrowed and Blake's heart skipped a beat! In the next instant powerful talons ripped into the faunus… but she vanished, her shadow taking the hit as she evaded, appearing beside Ruby as they faced down the Griffon!

"I'll take care of this one." Ruby's voice grew cold as she walked forward without hesitation. She held out her sword in one hand as it began to transform, the blades raising up until they met at the end of the long shaft, one blade retracting partially into the other as her sword took the form of a large, flaming scythe, her signature weapon, Smoldering Thorn.

Deftly Ruby twirled her scythe, a ring of fire glowing overhead like a halo as she walked calmly up to the Griffon. It screeched at her, but as she moved forward, it moved back. In an explosion of fire and rose petals Ruby blitzed forward, her scythe trailing behind her as she launched herself up at the beast! With one stroke of her massive blade, the monster was cleaved in two before being blown apart by the fireball that ejected the moment the scythe cut through it.

Ruby flipped in mid air, snuffing out the fire from her scythe just before her feet touched down on the ground. With a flourish as swung her blade back, the hot metal shrieked as it touched the damp earth as Ruby slid backwards, one boot resting in the curve of the blade where it met the hilt until she sailed to a stop, steam rising around her as the water on the ground instantly boiled as it robbed heat from the blade.

"Well I guess we're even." Blake shook her head at the needlessly showy display as she joined back up with her girlfriend.

"I don't know, I think you still owe me a little more for that save." Ruby smirked as she folded up her scythe, turning it back into a sword before giving it one more swing to cool it before holstering it at her back.

"Oh really?" Blake rolled her eyes as followed suit, putting her Gambol Shroud at her back. They had finished their sweep of the forest, there shouldn't be any more Grimm nearby. "You can tell me what you have in mind when we get back to the Inn."

"Sounds good." Ruby snickered, nudging Blake with her elbow. "Um… do you know which way the town is?"

"Yes Ruby, unlike a certain someone I have a good sense of direction." Blake bumped Ruby with her shoulder as she walked by, taking the lead.

"It's not my fault! Everything looks the same out here!" Ruby pouted as she followed her girlfriend. "Not everyone gets to have natural super night vision you know!?"

"I don't want to hear it from-" Blake stopped, behind her Ruby had fallen completely still and silent. Worry spiked in her heart as she turned to her leader.

"There's something warm over there." Ruby tilted her head as she focused, staring into the dark forest. "Come on!"

Without waiting for a response Ruby started walking quickly in the direction of the heat source, keeping her ears on Blake who was following close behind her. Closing her left eyes she focused on the warm glow that she could only see through her right. It was looking more and more like her suspicions were correct. As they drew closer, Blake could smell it.

The two came to a stop in a clearing, the air around them was warm and humid and the grass gave way to stone that fell away into a warm pool of water that sprung up from the ground. The couple had found a hot spring.

"I knew it!" Ruby cheered excitedly! "Come Blake, let's get in!"

"Um, are you sure it's not too hot?" Blake looked at the pool warily… but her attention was immediately taken as she stared at Ruby while her leader took off her cape.

"No, the temperature is perfect!" Ruby hummed in a singsong voice as she began to undress. A cool breeze swirled around them as she finished disrobing, Blake's cheeks felt hot with a deep blush.

Ruby looked beautiful, her pale skin glowed in the soft silver light of the moon. Blake's eyes looked over her, taking in her details in the picturesque scene as the moon reflected in the warm pool, giving the rising steam a faint glow. Ruby was very different from when she first got to beacon, she was taller for one, and her intense training had left her muscles toned, but not bulky.

"You coming?" Ruby turned to Blake with a bright smile… but a cold sorrow seeped into her heart as she looked at the front of Ruby's naked body.

Almost her entire torso was covered in a large burn scars, a long, obvious surgical scar ran the length of her chest. The burn stretched from her thigh on her right side as stretched all the way up to the thin scar that crossed her eye. Every time she saw Ruby like this… Blake was taken back to that terrifying time.

"Blake?" The soft, worried whisper of her girlfriend pulled her back to the present.

"Oh, right! Yes, I'm coming!" Blake hurriedly took off her clothes, folding them neatly before dropping them beside Ruby's mess of a pile that she had haphazardly dropped her clothes into. Blake tried to play it off as best she could… but she knew Ruby saw her staring at the scars. Ruby hated when any of them did that, but what else could Blake do? Pretend they weren't there? Pretend like it never happened? None of them could do that, she didn't know how Ruby seemed to.

Ruby jumped right in, the pool was the perfect depth covering just above her chest. With a long, content sigh she settled right in, the smooth stone beneath her and the water around her felt so comfortable.

"Hey, move up a little." At Blake's command Ruby scooched forward. Behind her she heard Blake slowly get into the water and then… she felt her girlfriend's arms wrap around her and pull her close.

The two sat in the warm, soothing water, Ruby smiling softly as she pushed back just a little bit more, pressing her back against Blake's chest and at the same time, Blake hugged her tighter, wrapping her arms around her waist as they settled in.

"Blake…" Ruby's soft voice carried on the light breeze as she leaned her head back until it gently met Blake's shoulder.

"Yes Ruby?" Blake tilted her head until it came to rest atop Ruby's. Together they stared up at the starry night's sky in peaceful bliss.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Ruby wiggled herself as close as she could, humming with happiness as she shut her eyes and took in every sensation of her girlfriend's touch.

"How do you think Weiss and Yang are doing?" Ruby wished she could share this moment with them, but at the same time, she was more than happy to keep it just for the two of them.

"They're probably bored without us."

* * *

"Uhg!" Weiss growled as she lifelessly stumbled through the door looking dead tired. With an exhausted huff she slammed the door and kicked off her shoes and loosened her tie. She wore a pure white pantsuit with a black tie... with strips of red, white and yellow running across it.

"Have fun at the board meeting?" Yang walked in from the kitchen, her long golden hair tied back in ponytail and a white apron draped over her.

"Public opinion up, profits down, shareholders unhappy, investors hesitant and mountains more paperwork to do. I wish I got to go with Ruby, at least if a Grimm killed me I wouldn't have to listen to any more self serving speeches from totally out of touch rich people telling me how I should run my company." Weiss collapsed and just before she fell Yang threw a chair beneath her, saving her from collapsing on the living room floor. Still, Weiss had complete trust in Yang to save her.

"Sounds like you've had a rough day." Yang frowned as she came up behind Weiss.

"Yes… a very rough day." Weiss groaned, her body going limp in the chair. Suddenly, two strong arms wrapping around her drew her attention from her dreadful day. Yang knelt down behind her, hugging her girlfriend gently as she breathed against her neck.

"Well, I know what I could do to help you unwind." Yang's erotic tone sent shivers down Weiss' spine, she could feel her heart rate increase as Yang slowly pulled her hands black, trailing the tips of her fingers along Weiss' belly as she retracted.

"That sound's… nice." Weiss turned to her girlfriend, her pale cheeks reddened with a hot blush… but immediately felt crushing disappointment as Yang grinned playfully, holding up a cartridge that contained her favorite video game.

"You dolt!" Weiss's blush intensified ten fold as she became exponentially more flustered.

"Hey, I'm still cooking in there," Yang threw up her hand with her thumb out pointing towards the kitchen behind her. "We wouldn't have time for what your dirty mind was coming up with… until after."

"I just can't win with you can I?" Weiss sighed. Still, her exhaustion was gone, and she felt a lot better, Yang always knew just what she needed. _I'm happy to be home._

"Nope!" Yang bent over and gave Weiss a peck on the cheek.

"Well, hand me a controller." Weiss submitted, knowing she was in for a thrashing with the game her girlfriend had chosen. _I hope Ruby and Blake get back soon, I miss them._


	2. Home

"Thanks!" Ruby smiled brightly, waving at the cab as it drove off, leaving her and Blake standing on the sidewalk in a quiet, unassuming suburb of Vale.

"You could have had them drop us off right at our house you know." Blake felt eager to get home, she knew her girlfriend was too, yet she had the cab drop them off a short walk away.

"I know, but it's such a beautiful day out, I thought we could walk to the rest of the way." She grinned bashfully. "Come on, you know it sounds nice too!"

"Okay, I guess it doesn't sound so bad." Blake smiled with a resigned sigh as Ruby took up her side.

"Come on, let's go home." Ruby's ever present energy was as lively as ever as the two women walked side by side. At the same time they both took the other's hand into their own, entwining their fingers until their hands clasped together.

As they walked hand in hand down the familiar sidewalk, Blake looked up to the clear blue sky, the gentle summer's breeze hummed over her cat ears. Beside her, Ruby closed her eyes, letting the warm sunlight wash over her as she took a long deep breath, imbibing the scents of the city they lived in, for her it was deeply nostalgic and tranquil, a far cry from the Grimm infested forest they pair had spent most of the past two weeks in.

Their pace quickened just a little as they caught sight of the house they had both been longing to see again since they left for their mission. It wasn't anything fancy or grandiose, just a nice two story home, painted white with a strip of black, yellow and red painted across the perimeter. The lawn was well kept and it had a patio with a swinging chair that could comfortable hold the four of them. A garden with beautiful flowers was planted along the stone walkway that led to the patio and front door. It was their home, the home the four of them bought together, and they loved it.

Ruby's smile only grew brighter as they ascended the wooden steps, their hands still held together as they stopped at the door. Blake reached her hand out to the handle, but was stopped when Ruby squeezed her hand, shaking her head with a playful grin.

"Weiss is in the kitchen, she doesn't know we're here, wanna scare her?" To be doubly sure, she closed her left eye and looked back at the door before giving a satisfied giggle.

"As tempting as that sounds…"

 **Ding-dong!**

Blake rung the doorbell, eliciting an indignant glare from her girlfriend, to which she rolled her eyes. _I just can't say no to her when she's like that. Honestly, she's really cute when she's pouting. It's more fun to get a rise out of Ruby than it is to scare Weiss._

"Fine, you win." Blake surrendered, her cat ears twitching as she heard footsteps approaching to door from within the house. Immediately Ruby flattened herself as much as she could against the wall beside the door while Blake did the same on the opposite side. The doorknob rattled for a moment before turning and slowly the heavy wooden door swung open.

"Hello?" Weiss cocked an eyebrow as she stood at the threshold.

"Boo!"

"Eek!" Weiss yelped, whipping her head to the source of the sound. "Ruby?!"

"Boo." Blake had used her semblance to appear behind Weiss as she put her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders.

"Blake!?" Weiss' face turned bright red as she spun around but before she could really process what was going on, she felt Blake's arm wrap around her lower back just before she was pulled into a deep, silencing kiss. Her tense body relaxed in Blake's grasp as she leaned forward into her soft lips.

"We missed you." Ruby cooed as she came up behind Weiss who was still occupied by Blake's kiss. With a soft giggle Ruby wrapped both her arms around Weiss from behind, locking them around her waist before pressing her lips against her warm neck, kissing it softly up and down while Weiss stood there helplessly between her girlfriends. Through her lips she could feel Weiss' heartbeat growing ever faster. _She's probably had enough._

As though sharing the same thought, at once both Blake and Ruby released Weiss, her breathing heavy and shaky as she was left reeling by the sudden and unexpected affection while her two girlfriend stood behind and in front of her looking extremely pleased with themselves.

"You two are the worst." Weiss finally sighed as she regained her composure. Stepping aside she let Ruby in, closing the door behind her as a warm smiled formed from her lips. "It's good to have you both back. I missed you."

"We missed you too." Blake leaned forward and gave Weiss a tender kiss on her forehead as she removed her boots at the door.

"You've been gone for a while, longer than you said. Honestly, Yang was beginning to worry." He smile turned more playful as the three of them walked into the living room. "I knew all along that you were fine of course."

"Sure you did." Again Blake rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of which, where is Yang? I don't see her anywhere." Ruby looked around the house from her position beside Blake, be she couldn't see a trace of her big sister.

"Oh she had to stay late, apparently a couple of her students were goofing off during her lecture so she forced them to stay after classes." Weiss shrugged.

"Still, she could be back soon. Until then, I'd love to hear all about your mission. I'll start some tea of coffee for us while you two shower, you really need it." Weiss laughed at the embarrassed faces her girlfriends made at her assertion, but honestly she didn't hate the smell, they'd been working hard out in the field, she found it attractive actually, and they knew that.

"Alright, come on Blake, we'll go take a nice hot shower together so the princess doesn't have to smell us!" Ruby huffed, turning away as she grabbed Blake's wrist before throwing her cape on the couch as she dragged her girlfriend deeper into the house where the bathroom awaited.

"Hey! Don't throw your dirty clothes on the couch!" Weiss yelled at them, but the only response she got was hearing the footsteps grow faster as they hurried away from her to avoid trouble.

"Honestly, my girlfriends are such a handful sometimes." Weiss sighed, but the smile on her face never faded as she grabbed Ruby's cape and folded it neatly in her hands. It was covered in dirt and soot from her battles and for a moment… she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

"I should get the tea and coffee started." With a wistful and smile and a shake of her head, she banished the sadness before walking into the kitchen.

Weiss was proud of their home, it needed a bit of work and remodeling when the bought it, but that was precisely why the chose it, together, the four of them could put their time, energy and love into the home that they would share. Though she was particularly fond of the kitchen, she and Ruby designed it, picked out everything that would go into it from the appliances to the type of hardwood that covered the floors while Blake and Yang did a lot of the heavy lifting and she and Ruby did the detailed work. A lot of sweat went into it, but she loved it… even if she wasn't the best cook among them.

Humming a catchy tune Weiss opened the window the illuminated the kitchen with natural light just above the sink, the gentle summer's breeze wafted in the scents of the grass and flowers that surrounded their home. If she listened closely, she could hear the water of the shower running and the occasional giggle from Ruby as she bathed with Blake. Things felt nice and peaceful. It was days like today that made Weiss reflect on everything that happened to bring them together… and everything the had to give up.

 _It's been an amazing journey, my relationship with those three, and our relationship with each other. We've all grown so much by being together, both as a team and as lovers… but we've all had to make sacrifices to get here. Myself and Yang had to stop being Huntresses… at least full time like Ruby and Blake. Yang got herself a job teaching Grimm studies at Beacon while I took over the Schnee Dust Company and became head of the Vale branch so we wouldn't have to relocate and uproot our lives. Blake had to walk away from her past, and she stopped hiding the fact that she's a faunus… but none of the that compared to what Ruby had to sacrifice…_

Weiss felt a cold chill grip her heart as she thought about her girlfriend and leader and what happened that night. _She's lost so much… sensation on twenty percent of her body, her right eye and even though she doesn't want anyone to know, I can tell she tries to hide it, but we all know… she's still in pain. Sometimes she feels like she's being burned all over again. Then there's the nightmares… I don't blame her for being traumatized, but she never brings it up to us, we just have to watch her tremble in her sleep. Holding her helps but we worry. Still, she says she's thankful for her scars… because what happened to her that night is what brought us together as more than a team._

 **Ding-dong!**

The sound of her doorbell ringing tore her from her thoughts. With a soft shake of her head Weiss composed herself turning the heat down on the stove underneath the kettle before she walked into the living room.

 **Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!**

"I'm coming!" Weiss growled in irritation as the bell went off rapid fire. Quickly she unlocked the door and swung it open, her arms folded across her chest as she glared at Yang.

"I kinda forgot my keys this morning." Yang smiled at her from the other side of the threshold, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. She wore tan, unbuttoned leather vest beneath which was a bright golden blouse. Her long blonde hair held in a ponytail with a black ribbon tied into a bow. She wore white which shorts held around her waist with a silver chain and at her ankle a red bandanna was tied above one of her black and white sneakers.

"Yes, I noticed." Weiss pulled a key-chain from her pocket and dangled them in front of her.

"Ah don't give me such a hard time, I've had a long day." Yang whined as she stepped inside the house, Weiss shutting the door behind her.

"Well I think I might be able to cheer you up." Weiss smiled as she wrapped her arms around Yang and pulled her close. "Guess who's home?"

"Wait, are you saying…" Yang looked down at the floor where she took her shoes off… and two very familiar pairs of boots were propped up against the wall.

"That's right, they came back." Weiss held Yang just a little tighter, smiling brightly as she felt Yang's warmth through her clothes. _We're all together again. Now it's really, truly home._


	3. Friends and Loved Ones

"And then Blake almost got taken down by a Griffon!" Ruby threw up her arms for emphasis as she regaled her sister and Weiss with she and Blake's exploits and heroics on their mission. Ruby loved telling them about her missions, and she tried to be as vivid as possible… she knew that Yang and Weiss missed the Huntress life.

"I managed to get out of the way in time and then Ruby finished it off with her scythe." Blake finished the tale, taking a small sip of her still steaming tea as the four of them sat at the dining room table. Ruby and Blake sat side by side while Weiss and Yang sat across from them, listening intently.

"Anyway, there were way more Grimm out there than the mission board said there would be, so that's why we were gone so long." Ruby sighed, bringing her upper body to rest on the cool wood of the table. "It was exhausting and we missed you, but we completed the mission."

"Come on, you're telling me two didn't have any fun while you were out there?" Yang smirked looking between the two of them.

"Fighting monsters is fun." Ruby shrugged and sat back up in her chair before picking up her mug of coffee Weiss had made for her, just the way she liked. It smelled really great, she blew on it to cool it down just a bit more before taking a sip.

"So you really spent the whole time just fighting?" Yang frowned. "I mean, I get that it was a mission but two didn't get any down time? If that's the case they should have sent more Huntsman and Huntresses… I should have been there fighting with you."

"No, it wasn't like that, we were just giving you a hard time!" Ruby got flustered at the sudden downcast disposition that her sister took on. "I mean, it was a really small town so there wasn't much to do. Oh! Actually, we did do something fun! Blake and I found a hot spring in the middle of the forest our last night there! The water was really nice so we soaked in it after we killed all the Grimm!"

"It was very nice." Blake smiled contently as she took another sip of her tea, fondly remembering that night. "We should all go sometime."

"A hot spring sounds awesome!" Yang suddenly perked up, her lilac eyes alive with excitement.

"That does sound lovely and relaxing." Weiss closed her eyes, imaging the warm, mineral rich water melting her stress away. _It sounds lovely… now I'm jealous!_

"I like that idea Blake!" Ruby beamed. "We should definitely go again some time!"

"Hey, maybe if they turned it into a tourist attraction they'd have less of a problem with the Grimm, ya know, being able to afford long term help?" Yang eyes drifted up as she pondered the notion.

"Hey, that's a really good idea!" Ruby felt embarrassed she hadn't thought of that.

"Well, you could always send them a letter." Weiss held her mug with both hands, letting the warmth flow into her palms.

"That sounds good, I think I'll do that then!" She hummed happily as she drank her coffee, but in her heart she knew the cold reality. _Either way… that town probably won't last long, most outside the kingdoms don't, but it's a start._

"So, what are we going to do for dinner?" Yang broke a silence that she sensed beginning to fall between them.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Ruby whined looking up from her cup. "The townspeople were nice and all but the food at the inn wasn't exactly… great."

"I'm sure they gave us everything they could," Blake's solemn tone brought the collective mood down as she stared into her tea. "It was a charity mission after all, that small town couldn't afford to pay us so Beacon gave us a flat rate to carry it out. That's probably why it was harder than it had been listed as, they brought the request to the headmaster but they knew that a dangerous mission for low pay would be left on the boards for a long time… if it ever got picked up at all."

"I understand the reasoning but still," Weiss frowned looking between her girlfriends across the table. "They put the lives the Huntresses or Huntsman who may have taken the mission at risk. If it had been someone less skilled than you two…"

"Weiss it's okay." Ruby smiled softly, reaching across the table and taking Weiss' warm hand into her own, squeezing it softly. "We're okay, and the town is safe for now."

"I know… I just worry about you two. Try to be a little more conscientious next time, for me?" One look into Weiss' big, soft blue eyes and Ruby was finished.

"You win," Ruby shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "We'll be more careful."

"Thank you." Weiss pulled Ruby's hand up to her mouth as she gently kissed the back of her hand up to her wrist. Ruby felt her warm breath a soft lips lightly press against her skin filling her heart with warmth and sending shivers down her spine at her touch. "I love you."

"I love you too Weiss." Ruby blushed softly as her girlfriend relinquished her hand. Weiss giggled, the fact that she was still able to make Ruby blush after all this time delighted her.

"That's really cute and all, and Weiss is right as usual… but what are we doing for dinner? I kinda spent my lunch break looking for my keys." Yang laughed bashfully.

"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry too, who's turn is it to cook? Blake and I just got back from a mission so we'd like to relax…" Ruby looked pleadingly at Yang, hoping she'd get the hint before Weiss offered to cook. Weiss wasn't terrible, but Yang was the best cook out of all of them.

"Actually, why don't we go out to eat?" Weiss looked to her girlfriends, gauging their inclination to be for her proposition.

"Yeah, it's been a while since we've eaten out together." Blake smiled… but immediately sent a glare of feigned annoyance to Yang who let out a snort of laughter at her choice of words.

"Actually, that sounds really good! It'll be a nice date!" Ruby looked really into the idea, she loved going out and showing off her girlfriends, Weiss thought that was really cute.

"Well, it'll be a double… or rather, triple date because Team JNPR wanted to get together with us after you and Blake got back from your mission." Weiss pulled out her Scroll and started looking through her contacts.

"Oh! That sounds like fun! We haven't gotten to hang out in months!" Ruby's eyes were bright with excitement at the prospect of seeing her friends again.

"Yeah, sounds like a good time. I'm in." Yang added herself to those in favor of the idea and so it became unanimous. With one more look around the table at smiling faces of her loved ones, Weiss clicked on her Scroll and held it up to her ear.

"Hello Jaune, it's Weiss. Ruby and Blake are back so we would be delighted to take you up on your offer to go out for dinner. Would tonight be fine?"

* * *

"Hey guys!" Yang said jovially as she and her sister and their girlfriends approached the table. The restaurant was a nice, high class place. The lighting was low and the feel of the establishment gave a pleasant ambiance to the dining experience.

"It's great to see you all again!" Jaune smiled as he sat with his team on one half of the arched seat that spanned arced around half of their shared table. Nora and Ren sat at the far end with Nora resting comfortable against Ren's side. Beside them in the middle, Jaune and Pyrrha sat together, his arm over her shoulders as she leaned against him.

"I know, it's lame that we barely get to see you all anymore." Ruby frowned as they took their seats, Ruby sitting between Weiss and Blake with Yang taking the opposite end as Nora. "I mean, it was great that we got to be bridesmaids at Nora and Ren's wedding but it would be nice if we could hang out like this more often."

"Yes, we do miss our carefree days when our teams lived merely a hallway apart." Ren nodded, adding his stoic but sincere input.

"We've just been so busy!" Nora whined, collapsing onto the table. "We've been doing mission after mission and when we aren't on missions we've got boring adult stuff to do!"

"But it is nice to see you all, we do try to keep in touch as much as we can." Pyrrha smiled at team RWBY.

"Hello," A waiter came up to their table with an amiable smile. "It's always an honor to serve Huntsman and Huntresses, can we start you all off with a drink?"

"I'll have a strawberry sunrise, no ice." Yang ordered.

"Champagne, please." Then Weiss.

"I'll have what Yang's having." Blake shrugged indifferently.

"Oh, um… can I get a minute?" Ruby asked nervously, feeling flustered being put on the spot.

"Sure thing ma'am."

"I'll just have water." Pyrrha ordered with uncharacteristic shyness.

"Same." Jaune smiled, holding Pyrrha just a little tighter.

"Sake please." Ren ordered.

"Let's see… I'll take a cosmo." Nora's surprisingly tame choice of drink took Yang aback.

"I'll have... a strawberry daiquiri!" Ruby finally decided.

"Alright, we'll be out with your drinks soon and then be ready to take your orders." The waiter hastily scribbled down each of the drinks before leaving the two teams alone.

"No alcohol Pyrrha? Come on, you could even drink me under the table so what gives?" Yang leaned forward, staring down Pyrrha.

"I can't really have any alcohol, in fact…' She looked up to Jaune and with a smile and a reassuring nod, he took her hand in his and looked around to his friends.

"Everyone… we wanted to get together like this because have an announcement and we wanted you all to be the first to know." Their hands tightened around each other as the couple took one more long look into each other's eyes, leaving everyone waiting on the edge of their seats.

"We're having a baby!" They at once exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh my gosh, congratulations!" Weiss, who was seated closest to Pyrrha reached out and embraced her friend in a tight hug, Pyrrha looking happy beyond words.

"Way to go Jaune!" Yang winked and shot him a thumbs up.

"Congratulations. You two must be so happy, we know you've been trying for a while." Blake smiled lovingly at her friends, receiving a nod from Pyrrha who looked on the verge of crying with joy.

"Oh I'm so happy for you both!" Ruby squealed, barely able to contain her elation.

"And, we'd like Ren and Nora to be the godparents, in case anything happens to us." Jaune turned to his teammate's who looked at first surprise… then overcome with happiness.

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Ren put his hand on Jaune's shoulder and gave an affirming smile. "But if it does, you can count on us."

"Oh my gosh this is amazing!" Nora's unbridled enthusiasm drew the attention of the entire restaurant.

"Here are your drinks!" The waiter returned, putting down drink after drink to their respective drinkers before leaving.

"This calls for a toast!" Yang took up her glass and raised it up. "To Jaune and Pyrrha, who are going to be the most awesome parents ever, and to all of us, for being the only two teams out of our year to still be together after all this time!"

"All this time, don't try to make us feel old!" Nora folded her arms indignantly.

"Yeah, it's only been five years since we've graduated… I mean… crap, sorry Ruby, I didn't mean-" Jaune stopped his stammering as Ruby waved him off.

"It's fine. I mean yeah, it sucked having to get held back a year after what happened, but remember, I got into Beacon two years early, so technically, even though I got held back a year, I still graduated a year early! Of course… I would have loved to graduate with my team, but I think it all worked out in the end." With a bright, genuine smile Ruby took Weiss and Blake's hand into each of her own and held them up for everyone at the table to see.

"I couldn't be happier." Her smile softened as her girlfriends on each side of her scooted closer until they pressed up against her, Blake and Weiss both were overcome with happiness and love for their girlfriend.

"We couldn't have said it better ourselves." Weiss grinned and gave a quick look to Blake, immediately they had the same thought and at once from each side they both planted a kiss on Ruby's cheeks, squeezing her hands a little tighter as Ruby closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment, humming in contentment as the felt the love from them wash over her.

"Aww, you three are so cute! Let me in on some of that!" Suddenly Ruby opened her eyes as force pushed them all over! Weiss was shoved against Pyrrha as Yang tried her best to wrap all three of them, her sister and her girlfriends in the biggest, tightest hug she could manage.

 _Yep,_ Ruby smiled as she felt Yang squishing them all together. _This is our weird, crazy, wonderful life together… and I love it with all my heart._


	4. A Rough Day

"Crap! We woke up late!" Weiss was in a frenzy rummaging through their shared dresser looking for her clothes for the day. The rest of team RWBY was in varying stages of disarray, all still in their pajamas or in Yang's case, in little more than her underwear. Blake was by far the calmest, having downtime after her and Ruby's mission. Ruby however was scrambling to make breakfast for everyone, she didn't even have time to change out of her pajamas before rushing to the kitchen to throw together anything she could make in a hurry. In this case, she went simple and classic; scrambled eggs, pancakes and oatmeal.

"Are you serious?!" Yang shouted into her Scroll, a call from the school interrupted her mid dress so she stood in the living room wearing just her shorts and her white bra. Apparently her call was not going well. In the middle of the chaos, Blake sipped her tea, compared to the rest of them, she was a paragon of tranquility.

"I understand, but don't get your hopes up." With a long, exhausted sigh Yang hung up and made her way into the kitchen where Ruby was setting plates for her girlfriends and sister, bouncing rapidly between the stove and the table.

"Ruby… you're not going to like this but I need a huge favor… well, actually it's Ozpin that asked." Yang stood there nervously but Ruby barely seemed to be listening as she dropped the pan loudly back onto the stove and turned it off before blurring over to the fridge with her Semblance and blurring back to the table as she filled one glass with orange juice and one glass with whole milk.

"What is it Yang, I'm kinda busy right now!" Ruby kept one ear focused on the bedroom where it seemed Weiss had finally stopped tearing apart their room in search of her clothes.

"Well ya see… Goodwitch kinda called out sick today so there's no one available to teach the first years' combat class today. We need a qualified Huntress to do the job and well… Oz asked for you by name so..."

"Are you serious?" Ruby's attention was finally fully focused on her sister as she came to a dead stop in front of her.

"Please Ruby!" Yang begged. "It's just one class! I'd do it but I teach Grimm studies and I can't cover both classes and like I said, Oz asked for you so please, for me!"

"Yang, I'm no good with people, what the hell am I going to teach them?" She folded her arms over her chest.

"Ruby, you came out of Beacon with one of the highest combat scores in the school's history, you even blew Pyrrha's final score away. You're one of the best Huntresses around, no one is better qualified than you!" She knew flattery probably wasn't the way to win Ruby over but she had to do something, and all of it was true anyway.

"Even so… you know I don't like going back to Beacon." Ruby's voice softened as her head lowered to the floor. It was happening again, she tried to hide it, but thinking back… it made her scars begin to burn. The pain was minor now, but sometimes it reached the point where it grew nearly unbearable.

"Ruby, if there was any other way… but I can't let Ozpin down, he's done a lot of us, he got me this job. Normally Huntresses as young as us don't get to become teachers, I owe him big. Please, just one class." Yang looked to her younger sister with big, pleading eyes. She felt bad but she'd feel worse if she didn't at least try to get her to do it.

"Yang…" Ruby have a frustrated breath. Slowly she raised her hand up to her face, running her fingers along the scar the trailed up the right side of her face and over her right eye. "Fine. Just one class."

"Oh thank you sis!" Yang shouted as she pulled her sister into a very tight hug. They were almost the same height now, Ruby was just an inch or two shy of her sister.

"Well, I'll hurry up and get dressed so we can get going." Ruby let out another heavy sigh. _I'm going to regret this aren't I?_

After the sisters separated Ruby dashed to the bedroom at the back of the house. Weiss would usually scold her for using her Semblance indoors but given the situation she'd probably let it slip. Yang ran after her, nearly taking in a mouth full of rose petals as she tried to keep up.

Their bedroom was large, a long dressed spanned the wall on one side and Weiss was just now finishing stuffing all the clothes she had thrown from it back into the drawers. Blake was being very relaxed which irked Ruby a little as she stripped ran to the dresser completely naked before rummaging around, making Weiss' task extremely difficult.

At the same time Yang ran into their master bathroom to brush her teeth. The bathroom was extremely nice with ceramic tiles and both a standing shower boxed in with opaque glass and a jacuzzi tub with quadruple vanities.

"Ruby I just put those in order!" Weiss growled as Ruby pulled out her standard outfit and began getting dressed.

"I'm sorry! Yang roped me into being a substitute teacher today so now I'm in a hurry too!" She dressed as fast as she could; skirt, tank-top, cape and shoulder armor, black stockings and then her ruby earrings.

"Seriously?" Weiss blinked, her frustration fading as she realized why her girlfriend looked like she was in such a bad mood. She'd only gone to Beacon a couple times since graduating and it wasn't a secret that she didn't like going back, Weiss couldn't blame her.

"Yeah, apparently Ozpin asked for me so I've got to deal with it." With a very unhappy shrug she propped herself up against the dresser facing towards the wall as she shook her head lightly.

"Ruby." Before she could turn around Weiss came up behind her, pressing herself against her girlfriend's back as she held her. Ruby could feel Weiss' breath at the back of her neck as she was pulled tighter against her warm body.

"You don't have to go." Weiss said in little more than a whisper, both to be soothing, and to keep Yang from butting in.

"I know… but I should. It's just for one day and I can't keep letting myself be afraid of a building." With a deep steadying breath she leaned her head back until it gently bumped against Weiss'

"I'll be okay." Her anxiety melted away in her lover's embrace. Closing her eyes she reached up, grabbing Weiss' hand at her side in her own. Ruby's finger finger tips gently caressed the back of her girlfriend's hand and for a long moment, they completely forgot about their stress.

"I have to get going…" Ruby whispered, wishing more than anything that she could curl up in bed with Weiss and Blake and Yang and just cuddle and fall into a comfortable, easy sleep,

"Yeah… me too." Reluctantly Weiss pulled away from Ruby. Her girlfriend turned to face her, the leader's silver eyes were soft with gratitude.

"Alright, time get out of here." Yang walked out of the bathroom, completely dressed and ready to go.

As soon as she got close enough Yang put her arm around Weiss' lower back and effortlessly pulled the smaller woman towards her. Weiss was blissfully helpless Yang held her close, her pale blue eyes looking up into her girlfriend's lilac before fluttering closed and letting Yang close the short distance between their lips. Heat rushed through Weiss' body as she pressed into their passionate kiss… and that heat only intensified as she felt Yang's hand drift down from her lower back.

"Later Snowflake." Yang grinned as she pulled away, smaking her hand hard against Weiss' ass.

"Love you Weiss!" Ruby's happy, silvery voice chimed by her ear. Still blushing deeply from Yang's antics she spun around, only to be met with yet another kiss as Ruby grabbed her by her waist with both hands and pulled Weiss towards her with surprising strength. However their kiss was disappointingly brief for both of them.

"I love you Ruby, Yang. I'll see you both tonight." Weiss smiled faintly, her face still hot red and her heart still hammering in her chest as she brushed stray white strands of hair from her face.

"We love you!" The two sisters said in stereo before turning to Blake who had finally set down her teacup and was irritatingly still in the robe she had slept in.

"Love you blake." Each sister took up Blake's side and held on of her hands.

"Love you both, have a good day today." Turning her head from one sister to the other she got a kiss from each before they pulled away from her.

"Alright, see you both later! Love you!" With that final goodbye from Ruby the sisters left for work, leaving Blake and Weiss alone.

"Well… I guess I have to get going too." Weiss sighed dejectedly, looking up that the clock above their dresser. _Alright if I leave now I should still make it to work by ten minutes early. Today is going to be a long day…_

Blake stared at Weiss as she looked downcast to the clock, her cat ears twitching as a pang of worry gripped her heart. _She looks so stressed… I wish there were something I could do._

"Very well, it's not like I have a choice, might as well get my day started. Love you Blake, I'll see you-" Before she could finish she felt hot breath against her neck and two hands gently moving down from her sides to her hips.

"You can't go to work stressed Weiss," Blake's voice came as an erotic whisper in Weiss' ear. "If you start your morning off like this, it'll just set a bad tone for the rest of the day."

"Blake I- I have to go to work…" Weiss stammered as her girlfriend's hands slowly moved to her front, unbuttoning her pants.

"Not right this second." Blake smirked before bringing her hand up, trailing it gently along Weiss' back before gently kissing the base of her neck. Grabbing Weiss by the wrist so she couldn't escape Blake dragged her rough tongue slowly up Weiss' neck, she could feel her girlfriend's heart pounding as she licked the length of her neck until she reached her ear and gave it a playful nibble eliciting a weak moan from Weiss who quivered against her. Blake bit down a little harder on her earlobe, all of them knew Weiss' weak points and Blake loved to exploit them.

"I- I only have ten minutes…" Weiss was gone, as she felt Blake's teeth sink gently into her earlobe and her warm breath against her neck sending shivers down her spine, she gave in.

"You'd be surprised what I can do with ten minutes."

* * *

Ruby walked silently down the hallway to the combat room. The halls, the classrooms, everything around her was almost exactly the same as it had been years ago when she first arrived at Beacon. Her heart filled with a bitter nostalgia as she came to a stop in front of the door that led to the class she would be teaching. Inside she could hear the carefree chattering of her students. _Yang and Oz are going to owe me big time for this._

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and opened the door. As she walked to the front of the classroom to the arena, the students grew silent with shock and after a moment, she could hear them whispering.

"Dude, is that Ruby Rose!?" A male student whispered to a boy sitting beside him.

"That cape, those scars, it's gotta be her!" He responded in a hushed but excited tone. Ruby blocked it all out, the staring, the whispers… the conjecture. Standing in the center of the arena so looked waited patiently for silence.

 _They're so young, just like we were when we first came here. Just like us, they have a lot to learn, the least I could do for them is teach them the lessons I had to learn the hard way._ With another deep breath… she addressed the class.

"My name is Ruby Rose, and I'll be filling in for Ms. Goodwitch today." Her expression was stern and her voice cold as she looked over the students. It was a pretty large class, nearly thirty students total.

"Since you're all first years, I assume Ozpin gave you the "wasted energy" speech right?" Her tone lightened and a friendly smile brightened her face. She got a few tentative nods but the students were obviously nervous of her.

"Yeah, he's been giving that speech at least since I first came to this school… this place hasn't changed a bit, it really brings me back." She closed her eyes, taking in the scent of the school, it had been a couple years since she'd been back, both bitter and sweet memories were forged in this school.

"Well, he's right." She shook herself out of her head, her face darkening as she looked at the students, meeting their eyes as she looked around the room.

"You are the fledgling guardians of this world, protecting the weak from the monsters in the dark, you're here to be symbols of peace and safety, and warriors for the powerless. Yet… I look among you, and do you know what I see?" She could feel the tension rising in the room as a few heads shook, staring at her intently, awaiting her answer. "I see children who are looking for something. Dreamers, thrill seekers, idealists, those who are here for honor or glory… I see children who are missing the point of what it means to be a Huntsman or Huntress."

"How many of you… have faced death?" Ruby let out a soft, shaky breath as she looked to the students, few could meet her gaze, most were looking inwardly, Ruby's words resonating within them. "How many of you have seen your life hanging from a fragile string… how many of you have felt true fear?"

After a chillingly silent minute… student's hands began to rise up in answer to her question. _So, only seven out of twenty-nine._

"Today… for your assignment, I will ask for volunteers, and I will chose five of them to fight me five on one."

Ruby reached to her back and in a blur of red and silver her sword unfurled, opening up into a scythe, the massive blade screeching along the floor of the arena as she brought it back behind her before it became consumed in a brilliant fire, a wave of heat washed over the room as Ruby stood with the inferno at her back, unyielding and unphased by the scorching heat, her cape fluttering, casting a waving shadow along the floor. Glowing orange embers floated around her as her piercing silver eyes burned into the students before her.

"If the five students can run my aura down to twenty-five percent, they win, and they entire class gets "A"s for the day. However… if they fail, and I defeat them all, they and their fellow classmates all fail." The flames died down as she pulled her scythe back up, the blade's coming apart down the middle and falling to each side of the long shaft once again forming her sword. The students looked at once terrified and outraged, but none dare protest.

"Well, who wants to fight me?" Ruby smirked as she stabbed the tips of her sword into the ground, leaning against the hilt as she patiently waited for hands to start going up.

 _Okay, there's one… two, five… eight… eleven. Okay, so a little more than a third volunteered. Not surprisingly, almost everyone that raised their hand to my other question volunteered. Good for them._

"Alright, I choose. You, you, you, you and you." Ruby pointed out the students that would fight her. Two girls and three boys, all in their standard Beacon uniforms.

As they walked to the arena she got a better look at them and their weapons. A tall faunus girl with light brown hair and hazel eyes with golden bracelets at her wrists and a long, bushy fox tail .. Her weapons were two large, bladed hoops. Beside her, a shorter boy with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes with quarterstaff. Another boy stood beside him, he was tall and muscular with dark skin and a shaved head, he had dark brown eyes and his weapon appeared to be a battle axe with a gun sickle at its end.

The fourth student was girl wearing a cocky, excited grin, she had very long blonde hair and light pink eyes, and she wielded two daggers. Finally another boy with short black hair with a streak of blonde at either side of his head and he had dual arm mounted gatling guns with a curved armor at its top protecting the guns.

They all looked strong, mostly nervous or anxious, but the blonde girl just looked eager to fight. Ruby smiled as she casually brought her sword to rest on her shoulder. On the other side of the arena the five students took fighting stances. A large hologram screen appears displaying their aura levels for the spectating students to see. _Well, I guess there's no point in waiting._

 _ **Whooosh!**_

Ruby vanished in a blur of rose petals, only reappearing right in front of the five students… with her knee slamming into the chest of the boy with the wrist mounted guns. Her first attack taking a surprisingly large chunk of his aura out in one hit while the other students watched, stunned by their teacher's blitzkrieg.

As the boy went flying back from Ruby's opening attack, she vanished again, petals scattering in her wake as she appeared again behind the blonde girl. However, before she could get her next attack in an axe swung down between them, Ruby stepping out of the way just a fraction of a second before she would have been hit!

With no effort Ruby slashed her sword that was as large as his axe before he could bring it up from the ground. With a slash down his side he was thrown back, his weapon falling from his hand and a fourth of his aura gone. With him down she turned her attention back to the blonde girl… but she was gone.

Ruby twirled around, bringing her sword up just in time as the quarterstaff swished through the air, the flat of her sword altering its trajectory. However, the boy wielding it smirked and the staff became consumed in writhing bolts of electricity! Ruby felt the electricity begin to flow painfully through her sword and into her arm. In a blur of red she retreated, her aura taking a small hit from the zap.

 _Okay, I need to watch out for-_ Before she could finish her thought she hear a whooshing sound from behind her. Twirling away as she threw her sword up to her shoulder the width of her sword met the whirling blades of one of the faunus girl's hoops, behind it ice trailed along the floor forming a path as it cut through the air, the fox faunus slid gracefully along the ice, one hoop still in her hand as she guided the airborne hoop with the hold manacle on her wrist.

Ruby rushed out of the way with her semblance as the faunus girl swung her hoop through the cloud of petals. Still, she didn't retreat for nothing as she zoomed over the boy with the wrist mounted guns just as he began firing. He was helpless to keep up with her speed as she quickly took up his side and with a powerful kick, knocked his arms back as she raised her sword over her head.

One side of her sword shot out an intense burst of flames, sending the other side slashing down at the boy with immense force, the fire from the opposite side acting like a rocket! With one powerful strike her sword cut him down, the immensity of the impact made the ground tremble as it blew away his remaining aura before he crumpled to the ground. _One down, four to go!_

She vanished again with her Semblance just before the end of the electric quarterstaff would have jabbed into her. Suddenly he felt a painful impact hit his mid back as Ruby landed a powerful kick! At the same time she swung her sword down at him, again using the fire from one end to propel it down, augmenting her strike with devastating force.

"Not this time!" The blonde girl reappeared seemingly out of nowhere, slashing her daggers at Ruby's sword, slowing it down enough for her comrade to get out of the way.

 _Good, they're starting to work together, and with four left that might be a problem for me._ Ruby grinned as she kick the blonde girl in the stomach, staggering her back as Ruby's sword transformed into its scythe form! With nonchalant ease Ruby rested her flaming scythe over her shoulder, the burning blade knocking away an attack from the ax wielder her even turning to face him.

 **Fwooosh!**

Ruby's scythe ejected a consuming ball of fire at the boy behind her, a shriek of pain echoing out as he aura was depleted! With the force of the fire blast Ruby let the butt of her scythe slam downwards, hitting at attacking blonde in the head and with an easy sweep of her foot Ruby toppled her.

"Now!" The faunus girl called out as she threw both her hoops, holding her arms out with her fists closed! As she pulled her arms together each of her weapons arced in the air converging on Ruby while from her other side the boy with the electric staff came at her!

 _Okay, I guess I can stop going easy on them now._ Ruby grabbed the shaft of her scythe and spun in wildly around her, sending out jets of flames in all directions! Just before she would have been hit the fox faunus' hoop rushed in front of her and a glyph shot up below it bringing up a wall of ice! The boy counters the fire by spinning his staff, blowing away the flames. As Ruby brought her scythe to a halt as she stood in the middle of the arena, her two opponents were forced back but were still able to fight while the blonde girl she had knocked down… disappeared again.

 _Okay, some soft of cloaking Semblance? That's really cool…_ Ruby took a deep breath, focusing on her right eye. In the next instant the battlefield looked very different, while her left eye saw everything normally, with her right eye she could see the aura's of her opponents… and then she saw the rapidly approaching yellow aura of the girl, her daggers drawn and about to strike.

With all her strength Ruby swung down her scythe right in front of her, the tip landing directly on the girl, smashing her into the ground followed by a gush of flames that finished off her aura and in her left eye Ruby saw her reappear.

 _Two left_ Ruby turned to her remaining opponents with a cold, stoic glare.

The faunus girl merely blinked… and Ruby was gone again, petals scattering where she once was. The girl looked around the arena but her teacher and opponent was nowhere to be found.

"Krystal, behind you!" The boy called out but it was too late. She felt a hand grab her by her hair and pull her back… right into Ruby's flaming scythe.

Ruby loosed an explosion of fire as she let go of Krystal's hair, the girl's body was smoking as she tumbled along the ground, surprisingly her aura held, just barely. As she staggered to her feet Krystal glared at Ruby, panting heavily while she readied for the next bout.

 _She's strong._ Ruby couldn't help but smile at the resolve in Krystal's hazel eyes. _Sometimes, even in the face of overwhelming force, you have to fight, even if you can't win._

 _ **Whooosh!**_

Ruby blitzed forward and before Krystal could react… Ruby landed a speed augmented punch right to her face, the sheer force of the hit wiping away the faunus' remaining aura and sending her tumbling to the edge of the arena.

 _And then there was one._ Ruby turned to the boy with the staff… he looked scared, but he held his ground. Ruby's scythe folded back into a sword, fire still raging from the blades and holding it up with one hand, she pointed it at him. _His weapon is tricky, I can't cross blades with him because I'll just get electrocuted. If I still had my Crescent Rose I could fight him at a distance, oh well, I still have options._

Slowly and calmly Ruby walked up to him, her sword still pointed straight forward but even as she approached, he didn't yeild, his staff crackling with sparks of electricity. Then, Ruby broke into a sprint, her sword reared back ready to slash down at him!

The moment she swung down he moved his staff to counter… and then, Ruby released her weapon, letting his staff strike it while it hung in mid air as she grabbed the collar of his shirt as swept him off off his feet with her leg, toppling him over! As he fell, Ruby snagged her still burning sword out of mid air and jabbed it downwards, a jet of flames washing over them… and burning away the last of his aura.

Ruby stood victorious above the five groaning and defeated students, her aura nearly untouched. As she snuffed out the flames around her weapon she turned to the spectating students. The all looked down at her with equal parts awe and terror as she holstered her sword at her back.

"You all fought well." Ruby turned to the boy laying on the floor at her feet, her hand extended to him as she smiled warmly.

"We lost…" The boy sighed in shame as he took her hand and shakily rose to his feet. Around them the other four combatants staggered up, all bitter and discouraged by the one sided thrashing they all received.

"True, but you all got perfect grades for today!" Ruby's bright and playful smile took him aback. Without waiting for him to ask, Ruby turned to the class as a whole, her smile faded until her face was as dark and serious as when first came into their classroom.

"I lied. The entire class will not be failed… only those who didn't volunteer to fight will fail today's class." Whines and groans of outrage and indignation rang out… but were immediately silenced with a powerful stomp of Ruby's boot.

"You don't deserve to pass!" Ruby's rage and disappointment burned in her voice and eyes as she admonished the class. "Your class was counting on you to fight, or you would all fail, yet nearly a third of you didn't even volunteer! The cowardly and the apathetic have no business being Huntsman or Huntresses!"

"You failed today because you didn't act like Huntsman… you acted like children. For those of you who didn't volunteer to fight," Ruby's voice was chilled with a deadly cold as she glared down at the guilty looking students. "I suggest you seriously think about why it is you're here… and if you even deserve the opportunity."

"Class dismissed." With rage filled huff… Ruby turned away from the class of students struck dead silent by her speech as she walked off to the door leading back into the hallway.

Ruby's chest was filled at once with burning anger and frigid depression… and the scars that covered her body burned agonizingly like they were freshly burned. She swung open the door… she was greeted by two familiar faces. Her sister… and the headmaster.

"Miss Rose." Ozpin dipped his head in greeting while Yang stood beside him looking to her little sister with worry.

"Ozpin." Ruby replied bitterly.

"Myself and Miss Xiao Long were curious as to what kind of class you would teach… I must say, I'm thoroughly impressed."

"You have a talented bunch of students in there, they just needed to be reminded of why they're here, and what it means to be a Huntsman." Ruby sighed, letting go of her anger as much as possible, though the searing pain that covered most of her torso all the way up to her right eye was making that difficult.

"I agree, the new students we have this year are quite extraordinary, in fact, they remind me a lot of the year you and your team first arrived at my school." The headmaster smiled as he remembered that time fondly. "I wish you would give all my first years the same lesson, I could offer you a position at my school, surely you would have an easier time with your home life if you didn't have to go on missions so frequently."

"I'm a Huntress, I don't want to be anything else. I did this as a favor to you and my sister… now I'm going home." With her jaw clenched against the pain Ruby turned away from her former headmaster and sister. "I'll see you tonight Yang."

Without another word… Ruby left them, making her way down the hall, her fists balled up and her breathing heavy but shallow as she fought through the pain in her scars.

* * *

Blake smiled as she sat on the couch with a book in her hands, still her her sleeping robe. Normally she'd have this down time with Ruby after a mission, but today she found herself alone, enjoying the quiet and tranquility… or rather, that's what she would have been doing, if she didn't so greatly miss the energy her girlfriends brought into her life. The day was only half over and her girlfriends were still at work.

 _Well, Ruby said she would be teaching just one class so she should be back soon. With Weiss, there's no telling how long her duties and CEO will keep her at work, she may pull another all nighter there. Yang has a more stable schedule… I just wish it was the weekend already._ Blake let out a soft sigh as she dropped her book onto the couch. _I hope Ruby is doing okay… I know Yang wouldn't have asked if she could have avoided it but I'm still worried, maybe I should text her to see if everything is alright?_

Just as she was about to reach for her Scroll… the doorknob at the front door rattled before unlocking. Blake's ears perked up atop her head, happiness warming her chest as Ruby came in the door… until she saw the blank look on her girlfriend's face as she staggered into the living room, her breathing subdued but trembling.

"Ruby are you okay?!" Blake jumped from the couch and rushed to her side, worry and fear gripping her heart as she took up her girlfriend's side, putting her arm at her back to support her as they made their way into the living room.

"I'm fine Blake, don't worry." Ruby stood up up a little straighter, relaxing her body as much as she could as she smiled reassuringly at her girlfriend.

"Ruby, you're not-"

"Blake, I don't want to talk about it." She looked pleadingly into Blake's soft amber eyes. "I've had a bad day… could you hold me?"

"Of course." Blake's smile was faint as worry still gnawed at her, but still she took Ruby's hand into hers as they made their way to the couch.

Ruby collapsed into the soft cushions, curling herself into a ball. Carefully, Blake curled up around her, throwing her robe over them as a makeshift blanket. Tenderly Blake held Ruby close, kissing the back of her neck while she hummed softly and gently rubbed her hand up and down Ruby's side.

"I love you Ruby, I'm here for you."


	5. A Day in the Life of Weiss Schnee

"Crap-crap-crap-crap-crap! I'm late! Stupid traffic!" Weiss swerved into the parking lot of the SDC Vale Branch Headquarters, trying her best not to speed as she drove to her designated parking spot.

 _Damn it! I knew this would happen! I never should have let Blake do that to me… no matter what she can do with that tongue of hers._ Weiss felt a rush of heat through her body as their morning played in her mind. Then she stopped herself, vigorously shaking her head to force the memories back down as she parked her car and quickly looked over herself in the mirror, fixing her long white hair before collecting herself with a long, deep breath and getting out of her car with her briefcase in hand.

"Today is going to be a long day." Weiss sighed to herself as she stood in the driveway, looking up at the massive glass and steel building with her family's emblem on its front. She had worked hard to get her company back from her father and undo the damage he did both to the company, and her family name. It wasn't long after her graduation that she managed to pull her company right out from her father's grasp. Now, it was hers, a company which powered the world, the SDC.

A sudden vibration her pocket stole her from her thoughts as her Scroll buzzed, alerting her to a new text message. With a shrug she decided she was already late, an extra thirty seconds to look at a text wouldn't hurt. Pulling out her Scroll she unfurled it and clicked on the text from blake.

 _"_ _Hope have a good day 3"_

Weiss's cheeks burned bright red as she looked at the picture attached to it. Blake sat on their bed, her shirt off and her bare chest completely exposed as she winked into the camera.

 _Blake!_ Weiss slammed her scroll shut and tried to calm herself down, not wanting to go into work blushing like an idiot. _My girlfriends can be such a pain in the ass!_

With a frustrated huff, she put her Scroll back into her pocket and made her way into the building. Though, as she walked into the cool, air conditioned building, she couldn't help but feel a little more at ease after getting that text from Blake. _I wonder if she knew that sending such a picture would help me destress, or if she was just teasing me?_

"Good morning Miss Schnee! You look like you're in a good mood." A receptionist at the front counter smiled at her.

"Yes, actually I am. Has anyone complained about me being late?" Weiss figured someone must have, normally she hit the ground running as soon as she got to work, there were probably people waiting on her as they spoke.

"Oh yes," She laughed. "Lillie has your schedule for the day."

"Of course." Weiss sighed. "Thank you, keep up the good work!"

"Will do Ma'am!" The receptionist called out as Weiss walked briskly off deeper into the building.

 _Okay, so fifteen minutes late, that means if I cut my lunch break in half I should make up for lost time._ Weiss hummed to herself as she thought of how best to go about her day. _Still, Ruby will probably scold me if I cut my lunch too short, and she went through the trouble of making me a cute, bento style lunch again and I really want to eat it, I love that she always makes lunch for me when she's not on a mission._

"Lillie, please tell me good news." Weiss came to a stop at a desk outside of her large office, a woman with short, straight red hair and emerald eyes behind large round glasses looked up at her.

"Sorry Weiss, you may have to stay late tonight." Lillie frowned. "First you've got to sign authorizations for the new mining operations in Vacuo and Atlas, then you have a meeting with the Vale Miner's Union leader. After that a press release for the PR campaign and a meeting with city planners for the expansion of the distribution division here in Vale, an appointment with a representative from the Atlesian military, then a Board of Directors and shareholders meeting, meeting with investors and finally a debriefing from the R and D department."

"Oh, so a typical day then." Weiss smiled, feeling charged and ready to take on the day.

"Pretty much." Lillie laughed, pulling out a stack of papers from her desk and handing them to her boss.

"Alright, time to get started! I'll sign these throughout the day, send Reggie up, I'll meet with him first, might as well start my work day off on a pleasant note." Weiss smiled.

"Will do Ma'am, and in the spirit of that, your coffee is already waiting for you on your desk." Her assistant winked.

"Oh Lillie, I couldn't survive the day without out you!" With a bright smile she walked into her office with a spring in her step.

"I'm well aware Miss." Lillie giggle quietly to herself before picking up the phone, ready to do her best to make her boss' day go as smoothly as she could.

* * *

"It's good to see you again." Weiss smiled amiably as she put aside the stack of papers she was only halfway through signing. Before her, a gruff faunus man with a long, green lizard tail took a seat in front of her desk. He was muscular with curly brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a low quality suit and tie and had a brown briefcase.

"It's nice to see you too again Miss Schnee." Reggie bowed to her in his seat, eliciting an genuine giggle from Weiss.

"Oh come on, I consider us friends, you don't have to be so formal, you're really bad at it anyway." She let out another a snort of laughter, bringing her hand up to her mouth.

"You'll have to give me fancy lessons some time, it'll come in real handy while I'm digging up dust." He smirked, his tail waving back and forth.

"Yes, perhaps you could charm the Dust out of the ground, that would certainly help our lackluster profits." She leaned back casually in her chair, twirling her fountain pen in one hand as she smiled at him.

"Well, with that in mind, I'm sorry but I am the union leader so I've got to represent the miners." He sighed, opening up his briefcase before pulling out a file stuffed with papers and handed it over to Weiss. "Well, this is what we want."

"Hmm," Weiss hummed as she quickly scanned through the folder's contents. After a few moments she smiled and held it up in one hand with her elbow propped up against her desk. "This is reasonable, I'll cram it down the board of directors' throats."

"One behalf of the Miners Union, I'd be very thankful for that." The genuine gratitude in his voice made the proposition of forcing his proposal through the board much less intimidating.

"So, how have you been?" Weiss dropped the file into a gridded metal tray beside her, folding her hands under her chin as she leaned forward.

"Oh I've been alright, my son is starting preschool soon and my wife finishing up college this year, getting her degree in engineering, I'm really proud of them, they're what keep me going you know?" His fond smile shined through with love… and it made Weiss miss her loved ones even more.

"What about you? How are you and your girlfriends getting along?" Now he leaned forward, listening intently, knowing that if there was anything that made his friend light up, it was talking about them.

"Oh we're great! Yang's job at the school is going very well, back when we were Students I'd never have imagined her as a teacher but now it's hard to think of her doing anything else, and she really loves it! Oh, and Ruby and Blake both just got back from a two week long mission, I'm always so relieved when they return, I know they can handle themselves but I love them so I can't help but worry. Still… I miss the days of us fighting as a team." Weiss looked up dreamily to the ceiling as she reminisced about the good 'ol days.

"I'm really happy for you, the four of you are really great together, I know people say things but…" He trailed off as soon as he noticed the downcast look on her face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No no, it's fine. People will always have their preconceptions and prejudices, but as long as I have my girlfriends, I'll weather it." It's true, whenever she felt weak, thinking of them gave her strength.

"Well, I know your choice to support unionization wasn't popular, but you have the workers at your back. We all owe you big time, and you'll have our support if you need it. Still, you've rubbed a lot of big dogs the wrong way since you've taken over, just don't let them tear you down, cuz once you're gone, we'll probably be next out the door." His face grew stark as he gave her the heavy reminder of just what rested on her shoulders.

"Yes… I know." Weiss looked solemnly down at her hands folded on her desk in front of her. _How could I forget. I may have gotten my father out of the way, but his way of doing business lingers in the upper echelons of my company, the old guard that remained even after my father fell from power._

"I should let you go, you probably have a busy day. Just know you've still got people in your corner." Reggie smiled reassuringly as he picked up his briefcase.

"Yes, thank you. You have a safe drive home. Say hello to Alder and Ashferd for me." She smiled pleasantly as he got up to leave.

"And you say hi to your girls for me." With a friendly grin, he walked out the door, leaving Weiss sitting alone at her desk.

 _That was supposed to be a pleasant start to my day._ Weiss gave a long, heavy sigh as she leaned back in her chair.

 **Bzzzzz**

Her Scroll vibrated in her pocket once, indicating she got another text. Without looking down from the ceiling she pulled out her Scroll and held it up over her face. _Another text from Blake…_

 _"_ _Sleeping with another woman."_

Along with the text was a picture of Blake curled up around Ruby, their leader looked fast asleep, comfortably dozing off in Blake's arms.

 _You'd think that joke would get old after the years we've all been together, but nope, it's rare a week goes by without someone, usually Yang, making some joke to that effect, though I've been guilty of doing it too sometimes._ Weiss giggled, looking lovingly at the picture her girlfriends, wishing she was with them, curled up on the other side of Ruby so they could all hold each other. After a moment of admiring just how cute they were, she began texting her response.

 _"_ _If you're trying to make me jealous, it worked. You both look so cute together… I may be home late tonight, kiss Ruby for me, and Yang when she gets back from work. I love you all so much."_

With a heavy heart she reluctantly closed her scroll. _Come on, Weiss, pick yourself back up. You've got work to do._

* * *

"Well at least those went smoothly." Weiss relaxed a little as she walked down the halls of her building back to her office. Press events weren't her favorite, but she managed them well enough. _And the city planners were thankfully very agreeable. Okay, so next on the agenda is…_

"Meeting with the liaison from the Atlassian Military." She mumbled to herself as she approached her assistant's desk the sat outside her office.

"Lillie, you can go ahead and send the military representative up now." She wasn't thrilled about this part, part of the bad name her company got was from dealing with the military… but the contracts they had brought in a substantial chunk of the company's profits.

"Um, they're already waiting in your office…" She looked down nervously.

"What? Why did you let them in there without me? I have sensitive documents in there." Weiss remained calm, though she was unhappy about assistant's unusual lapse in judgement.

"Well, you see… I think you'll understand when you see her." Lillie sounded uneasy but hopeful as she gestured to her boss' office with a tilt of her head.

"Wait… her?" Weiss' eyes grew wide as she spun around and walked into her office… there, standing with perfect posture, her hands folded behind her back that was turned to the young CEO… _Winter._

"Winter!" Weiss beamed as she walked up to older sister who did an about face to meet her.

"It's good to see you again, little sister." Winter smiled more reserved than her sister. "Though I never thought I'd have to make an appointment to get the chance to speak with you, I do understand taking over Father's company leaves you little leisure time."

"Well it hasn't been easy," Weiss walked to her desk, leaning her butt against it as she looked proudly around her office. "But it's definitely worth it, rebuilding our family name, bringing the company into good standing and carry out ethical practices that our Father neglected and-"

"And, as I understand it, the SDC is experiencing a significant drop in annual profits." She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression stern, but Weiss saw a hint of worry in her sister's cold blue eyes.

"Well yes, but with public opinion consistently improving and with budget balances we should be able to make it through this dry spell with no lasting damage." Weiss smile was barely present, her confidence not nearly as strong as her words implied.

"Weiss… I'm going to tell you this for your own good; You're in over your head." Winter walked up to Weiss, still tall enough to look down at her little sister. "Father managed to keep this company's profits at record highs despite public opinion."

"That's because he was corrupt, exploited workers, ignored environmental protection protocols and had numerous questionable partners and-"

"And because of that, he could buy his way out of any bad publicity and hire people to give him a exemplary spin." Winter interrupted again.

"I don't need any of that! I don't have bad publicity!" Weiss stood a little straighter as she met her sister's eyes with unwavering determination.

"Oh really… what about the three girls you've taken as your romantic partners." At winter's piercing question, Weiss' eyes grew wide as fear bit into her heart.

"Who I chose to associate myself with romantically is of no consequence to my ability to run the Schnee Dust company."

"Weiss, don't be childishly naive. You've made sweeping changes to the company and it's made you enemies, especially as profits continue to decline. They will be coming for you, and they will pick from the low hanging fruit that is your… unorthodox relationship with your girlfriends."

"I have nothing to be ashamed of, I love them all." Weiss couldn't think of anything else to say… because she knew, in her heart and in the back of her mind, she always knew… what Winter was saying was the truth.

"Even so, how will they spin it in their favor? A far too young CEO has sexual escapades with three other women? A sexual deviant? Or simply an indecisive lover who would thus be indecisive in her work life? That alone could end your time as the head of this company… and that's to say nothing of your lover's individual exploitable shortcomings."

"What are you saying?" Weiss narrowed her eyes, her voice warning and defensive.

"Well first there's Yang Xiao Long, who gave up her career as a Huntress for a cushy teaching job at such a young age. Then there's Miss Belladonna who was part of a terrorist organization that had been at war with the SDC… and then there's Ruby and what happened at-"

"That's enough!" Weiss slammed her hand down on her desk and took a firm step forward, glaring at her sister with cold fury. "You will not speak of them like that."

"Weiss, if you can't handle it from me… then how are you going to handle the inevitable smear campaigns that are no doubt imminent?" Winter relaxed, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"If they were going to do that, why haven't they done so? I've headed the company for years now." Weiss' voice was soft and just this once, she let her vulnerability show to someone other than her girlfriends.

"It's a risky game to play, I'm sure they believed you would simply fail on your own, but with both your workers support and public opinion in your favor, that plan is clearly not going to work any time soon." Winter's eyes met her sister's as she delivered her warning. "Your detractors are powerful people, and they will be coming for you, and your lovers are not safe from their plans. However, you still have people on your side, I will do all I can for you, but you must be prepared for them to come at you with everything they can."

"I won't let them hurt my girlfriends." Weiss' eyes burned with conviction. 'I will not drag them into my problems'

"The wolves are coming… be prepared." With that final, cryptic message, Winter pulled her hand from her sister's shoulder. "I've left the documents and contracts on your desk, Ironwood saw fit to renegotiate our contract, I'm sure the terms will please your shareholders."

"I understand… thank you Winter." With a weak smile Weiss walked up to her sister and put her arms around her, surprising her with a soft hug. "Come over to our place before you leave Vale… I'd love for you to see everything I have… everything the four of us have built together."

"I leave in three days, but I'm free shortly before I must return to Atlas… I'll visit you then." Weiss felt her stress and tension ease as her sister reciprocated the fond embrace.

"I'll see you soon then." Weiss released her sister, staring at her with glowing gratitude, Winter had a weird way of being at once grounding and uplifting.

"I look forward to it." With one last parting smile Winter took her leave and Weiss again found herself alone in her office.

"I guess now is as good a time as any for lunch." She sighed softly as she walked over to her desk and sat down. Pulling her briefcase over to her and opening it, it was filled with nearly organized papers, but also a small, black wooden box with Ruby's emblem on it. A her smile warmed as she looked fondly and thankfully at the box her girlfriend filled with food that her girlfriend had made for her.

 **Bzzzz!**

Her scroll again vibrated, eliciting an eyeroll from as she pulled it out. Another text from Blake.

 _"_ _Hey sweetheart, we're all waiting for you. We love you so much and hope you're having a good day at work. We miss you and love you… by the way, Yang is cooking dinner!"_

Attached was a picture of all three of her girlfriends snuggled together. Blake was still curled up around Ruby who was still asleep while Blake kissed the back of her neck, laying above them Yang knees rested behind Blake's head as she kissed the top of her sleeping sister's head.

 _"_ _I love you three so much, I may not be getting home in time for dinner… you may well all be asleep by the time I get home, but if I don't see you before bed, just know that I miss you all so much and I love you all. Also, make sure Ruby doesn't sleep too long okay?"_

Weiss hit send, her eyes lingering on the picture of her three girlfriends cuddling together and in it… she saw a space just for her alongside Ruby. Still, she couldn't help but worry for her leader. _Ruby only sleeps like that when she's in pain… I wish I could be there for her now._

* * *

"This proposal is completely ridiculous!" An old man with a receding hairline declared from the side of the long table at which they held their shareholder meetings.

"I'm inclined to agree, the demands are outrageous." A younger man the dyed gray hair in a two piece suit concurred.

"Allocating One-point-six percent of our revenue to implementing new worker safety protocols and augmenting our insurance program for our miners to cover the full cost of long term Dust related illnesses is hardly unreasonable." Weiss had to hold herself back from sighing in exasperation. Around her sat a ground of fifteen men and only one other woman, almost all of them were left over from her father's era. She was also the youngest person there by nearly ten years.

"You say that as we are experiencing our lowest profit margins in over twenty years. We simply can not afford the reallocation of funds when our current insurance plan, a plan that you, Miss Schnee yourself proposed only a year ago!" The balding man glared at her as he banged his fist against the table.

"I've been working closely with the union leaders and this is-"

"And that's another thing," He interrupted her mid speech. "These unions, they have their share of the blame for cutting into our productivity, and you encourage it."

"The union are responsible for our improving public opinion and it was a necessary step towards ending the exploitation of workers that was done under the leadership of Jacques Schnee." Weiss narrowed her eyes at him, but he didn't back down.

"Oh, and what of the union demands to restrict overall working time to forty hours per week or the fact that they impose union dues on workers even if they do not wish to be part of a union? What about the rights of those workers who do not wish to have the unions speak for them?" The two stared each other down… but Weiss faltered, only for a moment, ashamed she had never considered the other side before and for a moment, she struggled to come up with a rebuttal.

"Well… that may be the case, and I will certainly bring up your concerns to the union leaders when next I meet with them, however, according to all collected data, worker satisfaction has improved significantly under the unions, and that in turn cases productivity to rise." Weiss folded in hands in front of her, keeping poised and collected as she looked around the room.

"This proposal brought to us by the miners union will go through." Weiss knew she had the most power in the room, being the company's head in the public eye and having a large majority share in the company.

"You brat!" The balding man growled as he shot up in his seat. "You're driving this company into the ground with your childish naivete! Say what you will about Jacques Schnee but at least the man had a brain for business!"

The room fell into a deafening silence as Weiss stared coldly at him, crossing her legs in her seat as she leaned back.

"This meeting is adjourned, leave… all of you." As one by one the other board members and shareholders rose up tentatively from their seats, Weiss kept her cool eyes fixed on the man who challenged her, Weiss' hands clasped together in her lap as she exuded authority and eventually, he too left, grumbling to himself as he followed the rest out the door.

"Well that was certainly entertaining." Weiss looked up beside her, a tall man with slicked back black hair and dark blue eyes wearing a fine suit with a silver tie stood beside her. Reaching for a bottle that sat among several atop a counter that ran along the wall. "Would you like some scotch?"

"That sounds good right about now." Weiss sighed, letting herself relax. "You're Rexxie correct?"

"Yes, that's my name, though I prefer it if you called me by my surname; Slate." He smiled as he grabbed two small glasses and poured them each a shot of the amber colored liquid.

"Well Mr. Slate, it's a pleasure to formally meet you." She smiled courteously as she took the glass, gulping the drink down in one swig, the potent alcohol burning her throat on its way down before filling her chest with a pleasantly hot sensation.

"Likewise. I'm sorry that today's meeting got so intense." He took his drink down, looking to suffer a lot less than she did as he easily imbibed his drink.

"So, you're not with them… disillusioned towards me?" Weiss looked up to him dejectedly.

"Not at all, unlike most of the fools in the room who thought you'd fail right away and thus kept their investments solely in this company, I diversified as soon as you took power so I have nothing to be bitter about." He smiled suavely as he poured himself another shot.

"I see... " Was all she could think to say. She felt her head get just a little bit fuzzier, she wasn't the best at taking liquor so she preemptively cut herself off at one drink.

"Don't get so discouraged, you did quite well and you aren't singularly responsible for our falling profits, it's a number of factors. I predict that in time, things will become more favorable. In my opinion, I believe you just came to power at a bad time, but I also think you can do great things for this company. Just know that I'm in your corner Miss Schnee." He have a subtle bow as he grinned at her.

"Thank you, I very much appreciate the support. I'll continue to do my best to be deserving of it." Weiss smiled amiably back to him, but in her mind, she could only think of what had transpired between her and the balding man and then, what Winter said to her. Her mind was drawn to her Scroll in her pocket and she closed her eyes for a long moment.

 _I promise I will fight the wolves at our door and keep you all safe. I won't let them hurt what's most precious to me._

* * *

"I'm home…" Weiss ambled through the door, her last minute paperwork having given her enough time to wait out the buzz from the alcohol so she could drive safely. As she kicked off her shoes and stepped into the living room, she found the lights leading to the bedroom were dimmed while all other lights in the house were turned off, and their home was silent, all of that meant only one thing.

 _They're already in bed… I didn't get to see them before they went to sleep._ With a gentle sigh she walked to the bedroom, shutting off the lights behind her as she made her way past the living room and kitchen and into the hallway in the back of the house.

As quietly as she could she stepped into their bedroom… in the low light from the hallway she could see her girlfriends sleeping together. Yang lay on the end closest to their dresser, sprawled out in her usual manner as she slept. Beside her, snuggled up to Yang's side, Ruby snored softly. At the other end of the bed closest to the bathroom, blake slept quietly on her back, her hands resting on her belly... and between Blake and Ruby, there was a space saved just for her.

With a warm smile and love filling her heart she undressed, deciding to save the shower for morning as she stripped down, getting on the bed completely naked as she slowly and quietly crawled into the space between Ruby and Blake. Once there she fell onto her back, scooting up until her head just barely touched the wooden headboard.

She stretched out her arms and then she felt Ruby shifting beside her. Rolling over Ruby snuggled up to Weiss, her head resting under her outstretched arm before letting out a small hum of contentment. Gingerly Weiss pulled Blake a little closer to her and on her own Blake's head came to rest on her shoulder. With her arm that Ruby slept under she reached out until her hand met a head of soft, long hair. As Weiss petted Yang's head and felt the gentle rise and fall of her girlfriend's breaths gently rock their bodies against her… she closed her eyes, smiling in absolute bliss.

 _I'm finally home._


	6. Pain

"And then, no lie, the kid takes off his shoe and fucking throws it right at its face!" Yang was clutching her chest as she struggled to breath through fits of hysterical laughter, pounding her fist against the dining room table. Around across from her Weiss and Blake listened, giggling as they pictured the scene.

"Like, I swear for a second even the Beowolf was like " _What the shit?! Did that kid just throw his fucking shoe at me?_ ", I almost lost my shit right there!" Tears pooled in Yang's eyes as she desperately tried to catch her breath, her cheeks hurting from smiling so hard.

"Anyway while it was distracted he ran back to his weapon and killed it, so he still passed, but that was probably the funniest thing to happen in class all year." She snorted, finally bringing her laughter to a slow stop as she wiped away her tears.

"Sounds like something Jaune would have done." Weiss snickered.

"Totally!" Yang laughed in agreement, picturing her friend doing just that. "So Weiss, how was your day yesterday?"

"In a word… stressful." Weiss sighed, deflating onto the table with an exhausted grumble. "Half my company hates me and the other half just kept giving me cryptic warning about the half that hates me. I signed so many papers my fingers were sore, I had a press conference and a board meeting… it was just so stressful, and the worst part is I didn't get home until you were all already asleep."

"I'm sorry you had a hard day Weiss, but it's the weekend now." Blake smiled comfortingly as she took Weiss' hand into her own before hunching over and giving her a gentle kiss on the side of her girlfriend's head. "We can all relax together."

"Yeah, that sounds really good." Weiss' face lit up with a smile as she brought Blake's hand to her lips, kissing it slowly up and down before bringing it to rest under her cheek.

"What about you Blake, did you have a nice relaxing day while we were all hard at work?" Yang smirked as she reached out with her foot under the table until her toes met Blake's… or Weiss', she couldn't be sure with how close together the two of them were sitting.

"It was boring honestly." Blake admitted, looking up from Weiss to Yang. "Boring and uneventful, at least until you three started returning home."

"What about you Ruby, aren't you going to tell them about how you were a complete bad-ass in class?" Yang smiled brightly, nudging her little sister with her elbow… but Ruby was barely responsive.

"It was alright." Ruby's voice was soft, her silver eyes were dull and tired as she looked up to her the girls sitting around her. She had been uncharacteristically quiet all day and she had slept through most of yesterday and both her girlfriends and her sister were growing increasingly worried.

"Well, instead, why don't we decide what we're going to do today." Blake smiled softly at Ruby. "What do you want to do?"

"Whenever you three decide, I'm fine with anything." Ruby's gaze fell away from the worried eyes that looked at her.

"Honey, how much pain are you in?" Weiss frowned, reaching across the table and taking Ruby's hand between her own while beside her Blake did the same, taking in Ruby's other hand.

"I- I'm fine…" Her voice was little more than a strained whisper.

"Ruby, you're not fine." Yang said matter-of-factly, putting her hand carefully on her sister's shoulder. "Talk to us, we all love you and we're just worried."

"I told you I'm fine, please stop worrying." Ruby couldn't bear to look up at them, her teeth gritted painfully as she fought with the rest of her body to keep it relaxed. She could barely cope with the agony that seared through her scars, feeling like her flesh was being boiled off everywhere her skin had been left mutilated by the burn she got that night years ago.

"Sweetheart please… we just want to help." Weiss' voice was choked as she tried in vain to hold back the tears that pooled in her cool blue eyes, her hands trembling around Ruby's.

"It hurts…" Ruby's voice was a muffled squeak, her body began to quiver and her breaths grew more rapid and shallow, the fragile vale of normalcy she'd been maintaining was blown apart as the pain began to overwhelm her. "It hurts a lot Weiss…"

"Ruby…" Yang's heart ached as her sister suffered before her, now it clear by her trembling and by the grimace on her face and the strain in her voice, it was clear that she was suffering immensely. _How long has she been hurting this much? She hides it so well… if I didn't even notice, Weiss and Blake probably didn't either. She's been putting on a brave face for us while she's in this much pain?_

"I have to go." With a shaky breath Ruby stood up, pulling her hands from her girlfriends', her head hung low and her eyes never meeting any of theirs. Pain flared, pulsing across her skin as she moved, even her clothes lightly brushing against her scar sent intense waves of pain radiating outward, still she did everything she could not to break down.

"Ruby wait, let us help you!" Blake shot up from her chair and ran around the table with Weiss close behind. "You shouldn't hide when you're hurting from us, we love you and we want to help."

Blake and Weiss came to a stop in front of their distressed girlfriend, Yang standing behind her all of them looking to Ruby with deep concern as she stared at the floor, her fists balled at her sides.

"Let us help you." Blake bit back her tears as she reached a hand out to her… before Ruby smacked it away.

"Don't touch me!" Ruby shouted, her eyes wide with fear as she recoiled back, shrinking away from her girlfriends. Guilt swept over her as she looked into Blake's stunned eyes… and then the wall she had put up was decimated, tears flowed down her cheek… but only from her left eye, her synthetic, bionic right eye being incapable of producing tears.

"I'm sorry…" Ruby's broken whisper pierced the silence that surrounded the four of them. "You can't help."

 _ **Whooosh!**_

In a blur of red… Ruby was gone, her girlfriends and sister standing around where she had just been, rose petals falling around them. They could hear the front door open… and then slam shut as Ruby left the three of them alone.

 _I should have known… I should have done something._ Blake's jaw clenched and her nails dug into her palm as she squeezed her fists tight, the guilt that filled her chest was almost suffocating. _The signs were there, we all saw it, the nightmares, sleeping all day, her getting progressively quieter… damn it!_

"This is all your fault." Weiss dark voice dripped with anger that shook Blake from her own mind. Behind her, Weiss Weiss looked up, glaring at Yang.

"This is your fault!" Yang stepped back as Weiss stomped forward, pushing Blake aside, her eyes burning with pain and anger. "You never should have asked her to go to Beacon! You knew this could happen but you did it anyway!"

"I didn't force her to go!" Yang fired back defensively. "I asked her for a favor and-"

"You knew she wouldn't say no! You pressured her!" Weiss bared her teeth at her girlfriend, letting her anger overwhelm the sorrow and guilt she felt in her heart.

"Weiss, that's enough. Ruby is an adult, she knew better than any of us what going back could do to her, but she went anyway." Blake stepped between her two girlfriends, putting aside her own sadness as she exuded as much calm as possible.

"We all are to blame for not doing anything sooner… this has been building for a while, ever since we went on our mission." With a heavy sigh she looked to Weiss, the pain in her amber gaze defusing her girlfriend's wrath. "It was only our second night in town when the nightmares began. I did what I could, but even in her sleep she was crying."

"Her nightmares always get worse when all four of us don't sleep together." A cold ache bit at Weiss' heart as she thought about last night, and how she wasn't there for Ruby, both through her pain and her nightmares. _I knew this was happening… It's wrong of me to put all the blame onto Yang, when they sent me those pictures while I was at work, I knew that Ruby sleeping all day could only mean she'd been suffering, her pain and nightmares making sleep almost impossible at night unless they were all together._

"She's right…" Blake admitted bitterly with a heavy heart. "There's not much we can do to help her. Even touching her, when she's in that much pain… she can't handle it."

"I hate feeling so useless!" Yang growled, mentally lashing herself for failing to help her little sister before it got to this point. _I never should have asked her to fill in at Beacon._

"Me too… we should have done something sooner. All of us." Weiss gave a long heavy sigh as she walked up to Yang before collapsing weakly against her, her head coming to rest under Yang's chin, her arms resting limp at her sides. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have put all the blame on you. Forgive me?"

"You were right, I should have known better. There's nothing to forgive." Yang's lip quivered as her tears began to fall. "I love you…"

Blake joined them, resting her forehead against Yang's as she took Weiss hand in her own. Yang wrapped her strong arms around her girlfriends and held them tight as they cried together, feeling in their hearts that something very important and dear to them was missing… but knowing in their minds there was nothing they could do about it except comfort each other.

* * *

"I haven't been able to sleep at night." Ruby admitted softly as she sat in a quiet office painted a calming shade of blue. Across from her, an older man with gray hair crimson eyes sat, listening patiently.

"Ever since I went on that mission, the nightmares have just been getting worse… and the pain, I can't- I can't cope with it. Painkillers are barely taking the edge off, it feels like I'm right back there, getting burned all over again. It's only gotten so much worse since I went back to Beacon yesterday." She folded her hands in her lap, even as she spoke the intense pain gnawed at her.

"You went back to Beacon?" He tilted his head, for the briefest of moments, surprised flashed in his eyes.

"Yes." Ruby nodded weakly.

"Did it trigger any new memories of what happened that night?"

"Just the same ones that I see over and over again in my nightmares." Ruby hunched over, her heart rate increasing and her breaths becoming rapid and shallow.

"I- I keep seeing it… glowing eyes staring down at me, my scythe that I held between me and whatever was attacking me melting in my hands, it was so hot I had to let go and then it explodes, I can feel shrapnel shooting through my body into my chest and stomach and then…" Ruby was shaking so hard even her therapist could feel her trembling through the floor.

"And then… I watch, it's like it happens in slow motion, the fire coming at me… I try to get away but I freeze, I can't move. Then it all goes black, everything gets drowned out… except the burning pain, I can feel myself dying in agony over and over again, every time I have this dream and when I wake up… the pain is still there." Ruby swallowed back a sob that threatened to escape her throat, still trying her best to put on a strong facade.

"I know you've shot this idea down before… but since traditional pain killers don't seem to help, I'd like you to give anti anxiety and antidepressant medications another chance."

"No!" Ruby snapped her head up, her eyes meeting his. "They make me fuzzier than the pain killers, I can't be do my duties as a Huntress when I take them!"

"Ruby, you can't keep pushing yourself like this, it's not healthy…"

"It doesn't matter, I'm a Huntress. That means my ability to fight to protect the innocent from the darkness is the most important thing. I've suffered with it for this long, I can handle it."

"And what about those who love you who have to watch you suffer?" At his question Ruby looked away from him, a soft, quivering sigh escaping her lips.

"What about your sister? Or Weiss and Blake? Are you not willing to try this for them?" He frowned, his voice softening as he tried to get through to her. "You said you felt guilty for the way you left before coming here, I think the best thing you could do for them would be to take care of yourself. Seeing you in this much pain, no matter how well you think you hide it, hurts them.'

"I know… I know but what if those pills do make it better… and I can never be a Huntress again?" Ruby found herself crying again, her heart feeling as though it was being torn in half. Her love for her girlfriends and sister, at odds with her purpose in life… it hurt almost as much as her scar.

"You may find after being on them for a while, that those side effects subside. I urge you to consider taking them for two months, and taking it easy. You have an extremely strong support system at home, people that love you and want to see you happy. Do this for yourself and for them, because no matter how strong you think you are… you can not keep going like this."

"I understand…" Ruby's tone became frigidly cold and her expression blank. She stood up, her eyes closed and her body relaxed and steady despite the gnawing, searing pain. With a long, deep breath she opened her eyes.

"But can't do it." Without another word, Ruby turned away from him… and walked out.


	7. A Warm Embrace

It was exactly the atmosphere she wanted. People didn't bother her, after all, nothing strange about the sight of a miserable looking twenty-something staring vacantly into a glass of tequila as she sat quietly at the bar.

It was late… but she couldn't bring herself to go home. In her mind she kept seeing the look on Blake's face after she slapped her hand away. With a bitter smile Ruby gulped down the rest of her drink. _Three down…_

Unlike the prescription pain killers she had back home, alcohol actually did numb the burning pain in her scars. She could feel her drinks begin to slow down her mind and give her a nice floaty feeling as it made her pain seemed somehow further away. _I think… I'll sleep in my car tonight._

"A shot of your cheapest bourbon, and one for this sorry looking lady beside me." A familiar voice sobered her up just a little. Without looking up, Ruby gave a soft, sarcastic laugh.

"If you're trying to make me nostalgic, you could have picked a better time than that year I took off from Beacon to train with you." She held her glass in her hand, swirling around the last few drops of her tequila as she hunched over it.

"What, don't want remember your first drink with your old Uncle Qrow?" He snickered. "Cheapest bourbon is exactly what I ordered for your first taste of alcohol."

"And it tasted like fire Dust." With a deep breath she sat up as the bartender placed a shot of bourbon down in front of both of them.

"I thought it might scare you off from drinking, but you ended up just wanting more. Before long you were drunk off your ass, it was pretty funny too." Taking his shot-glass in his hand he turned to Ruby and held it up. "To old times?"

"Sure, why not." Ruby sighed, sitting up a bit straighter as she held her glass up. They clinked together with a familiar chime before they both downed their shot at the same time.

"Still tastes like fire Dust…" She shook her head lightly with a soft smile before looking over to the bartender. "Hey, can I get a strawberry daiquiri to wash this down?"

The bartender nodded and Ruby slouched back in her seat, her head tilting up as she looked to the ceiling. _Old times huh?_

"So, which one?" Ruby turned to him, her cheek held in her hand while her elbow propped up her head against the bar's counter.

"Which on what?" Qrow shrugged, his arm resting along the back of his seat as he leaned back.

"Don't play dumb, which one of them called you? You didn't just happen to show up here at just the right time to catch me." Ruby's tone grew impatient, beside her the bartender placed a tall glass filled with red slush with a straw poking out of it and a sliced strawberry at the glass' rim.

"All of them actually." He shrugged. "They're worried about you, if I'm being honest, I'm worried about you. I've seen how bad it can get, even more than your girlfriends or Yang, that year you were training with me after you woke up… you cried a lot when you didn't think I could hear you."

"It's not that bad, not yet… but it's getting close. Even now, it feels like someone is pouring boiling water all over my skin where my scars are. My eye even hurts, but it shouldn't, I know my eye isn't real, but somehow it hurts." Ruby took a sip of the sweet slush, even through the fruity sweetness she could still taste the rum in it.

"I know, but you're a tough kid. When I first took you under my wing after they let you out of the hospital, you were terrified of fire, you went into a panic just from a little camp fire. Still you didn't want it to beat you so you went and made a new scythe that harnessed what you were afraid of. Guess it gave you a sense of control." Qrow smiled nostalgically, holding his empty shot glass between his fingers as he stared down into it.

"This isn't like that, I can't just will my way through it. The pain can go on for months, but this is the worst it's been in years… I don't know how long I'll have to feel like this. I don't want them to know how bad it's getting but I can't be myself around them when I'm in pain… being around them only makes it harder for me to cope lately."

Ruby's hand trembled around her glass as she squeezed it, being careful not to break it. Her eyes shut tight as pain and guilt swirled in her mind… it was almost suffocating. _I- I don't know what else to do… if I stay around them when I'm like this, I'll just end up hurting them like I did to Blake!_

"That's because instead of telling them how much it hurts, you hide it, push it down and let it eat you up from the inside, just like you did when you were training with me, just like you've always done… just like you're doing right now." His tone grew dark and serious as he put down his glass and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to turn to face him. As he looked at her pale face that she forced into a blank expression and her dull, tear filled eyes, he knew that she was hurting bad, even worse than he had thought.

"I can't tell them, I don't want to worry them and there's nothing they can do for me anyway." Ruby took in a weak, trembling breath. "This is better…"

"Is it?" Qrow raised an eyebrow at her. "You've got two beautiful ladies who love you more than anything waiting for you at home, not not mention your sister, all worried to death about you and your idea of better is to get yourself wasted in this dump?"

"Getting myself wasted hurts less…" Ruby whispered, taking another long sip of her drink, very much wishing she had ordered straight liquor so she could get wasted faster.

"Hurts you less, maybe, but what about them?" At that… Ruby froze and with a soft sigh, put her drink down on the counter.

"You think it would be better for them to see how bad I really am, knowing they can't do anything?" Her teeth gritted, her jaw muscles bulging at the sides of her face as she squeezed her eyes shut. ' _his isn't fair! There's nothing they could do, they're better off angry at me than seeing me like this!_

"I think… no, I know that they would rather be there for you. You've got people who love you, take it from me, don't go pushing them away, you'll regret it." For just a moment, Qrow's voice trembled as his own deeply buried pain bubbled up. "Even if they can't do anything, they would want to be with you and even if you won't admit it, you want a hand to hold when the pain gets unbearable, and you've got three girls who want nothing more than to do that for you."

"I- I…" Ruby felt the pain in her scars burning into her stomach and chest, her eye felt like it was on fire and all she could think about… was them. As tears rolled down her cheek as her breath were shot and shaky as she sobbed painfully.

"Let me take you home…" Qrow frowned, gently rubbing her back. "They're waiting for you."

"I- I… I want…" She could barely speak, pain both physical and emotional left her throat tight and her voice. She wanted to rip off her own skin, cutting away the scars that filled her with unbearable searing agony and as she began to break down, the names of her lovers and sister screamed in her mind.

"Come on, I'll help you up." A warm, loving smile formed from Qrow's lips as he stood up, helping Ruby off her her seat, being careful not to touch her scars before he left their bill at the counter.

"I- I want to go home…"

* * *

"Come on kid, just a few most steps." Qrow helped Ruby onto their patio in the middle of the night. The lights in the home shined through the darkness from the windows as he carefully walked her to the front door. Ruby had been nearly silent the whole way there, he was sure if it was because of the pain or the alcohol.

 **Ding!**

Qrow rang the doorbell, keeping one arm around Ruby's back to help support her, the drinks she had at the bar seemed to be hitting her pretty hard now as she could barely stand. Inside he could hear three sets of footsteps approach the door before it swung open.

"Thank goodness you found her!" Weiss looked on the verge of tears as she took Ruby from Qrow, taking her hand and placing her other hand on Ruby's back as she helped her up the small step into their house.

"Found her drinking herself towards a blackout at the bar." Qrow said solemnly, keeping his eyes on Ruby as she pulled away from Weiss, her head low and her gaze on the floor. Looks of surprise and immense worry appeared on all their faces as they looked from him to Ruby.

"She's all yours now… I guess I'll head back to the bar and pick up where she left off." With a weak smile he turned around, his cape fluttering in the cool breeze behind him as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks, Uncle Qrow." Yang watched him go, her gaze lingering on him for another moment before she closed the door behind him, turning her attention back to her little sister.

Weiss, Blake and Yang all stood around Ruby… but still she didn't look up or even say a word. Blake looked with concern to her two other girlfriends, all felt helpless, confused and above all worried for their leader, lover and for yang, her sister.

"Babe, please… we love you, just tell us what's-"

"It hurts…" Ruby's soft, broken voice cut Blake off, the pain in her voice was staggering as Ruby trembled between them. "It hurts so much."

"Oh Ruby…" Blake's eyes clouded as tears pooled on their amber surface.

"It hurts… I- I can't handle it on my own…" Her breath grew rapid and shallow, her hand rose shakily up to her chest where she squeezed the fabric of her tanktop in her fist, even the slightest motion of the cloth against her burn sent waves of scorching pain through her scars. "I- I can't take it and I don't… I don't know what to do…"

"I'm sorry." Weiss stepped forward, wet trails fell down her cheeks as she stopped in front of Ruby before carefully putting her arms around the trembling girl. Her hand coming to rest behind her head, Weiss' fingers sinking into Ruby's short hair as she put her head on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Ruby."

An intense rage burned within Blake, her fists balled at her sides as she purposely dug her nails into her palms. _How did we ever let it get this bad? We failed her… I failed her._

"We're here for you…" Blake's voice quivered with rage directed inwards as she walked up to Ruby's side, putting her arms around both her girlfriends and resting her forehead against the side of Ruby's head, kissing her softly. "We'll always be here for you."

"We love you. We all love you so much Sis." Yang could barely whisper as she took up Ruby's back, putting her arms around all three of them, holding them all close. _I never should have let it get this far… I've known Ruby my whole life, I should have seen the signs, and I should have done something._

"It hurts…"

Ruby's lips quivered and as she felt the love surrounding her… she broke down, the walls she put up around her to hold in her pain were ripped apart. She buried her face in Weiss' shoulder as she took Blake's hand in her own and gripped it tight. She let go, crying as hard as she could while they held her. Together, the four of them cried and soon… the pain in her scars ebbed not gone, but lessened, replaced by the love in her heart burned with a gentle warmth.

As her body began to relax, going weak from both the alcohol and the long awaited relief from the agony that tormented her… a soft, thankful smile formed from her lips. Gently, she kissed Weiss' neck that was left wet by her tears.

"Thank you…" Ruby whispered, letting her eyes close, focusing only on the warmth around her that had burned away the pain. "I love… I love you all."

"We love you, Ruby… with all our hearts."


	8. Dark Clouds in the Distance

"Sweetheart… sweetheart wake up." Weiss cooed softly as she knelt down at the foot of the bed, Ruby curled up in front of her.

Weiss was dressed in her huntress outfit, a three tiered dress ending at her knees that flowed from a gradient of white on top to red and then the bottom before finishing off with fiery yellow at the hem. Around her neck was a necklace of with her snowflake symbol accented with diamonds at its points.

Ruby had been sleeping almost the entire time after Qrow had brought her back from the bar. After taking a few pills to help her sleep through the pain in her scars she passed out and no matter what, at least one of them slept with her, holding her to stave off the nightmares. At the moment Blake was curled up around Ruby, sleeping peacefully with her arms around her girlfriend.

"Mhh…" Ruby grumbled, shifting closer to Blake, her back pressed against her chest as she retreated from Weiss.

"Come on, I need you to wake up." Weiss smiled lovingly as she gently petted Ruby's head, her short hair barely coming up over her fingers and they rain through it. Under her touch she felt Ruby's body relax and a small smile form from her lips.

"You aren't going to cute your way out of this, I need you to wake up." A soft giggle escaped Weiss' lips as she leaned forward, she could feel Ruby's warm breath against her face before their lips met, her girlfriend letting out a satisfied hum as she leaned into the kiss that stirred her from her sleep.

A blissful warmth filled Ruby's chest as she reached her arms out, wrapping them around Weiss as she pulled her closer into a tight hug, her kiss deepening as her tongue slipped past her girlfriend's lips, a gentle moan coming from Weiss as she let Ruby pull her closer, succumbing to her whim for just a moment… before her better judgement took over.

"Sweetheart, my sister is coming over soon." Weiss blushed deeply as she pulled away, her heart pounding in her chest, her eyes locked on Ruby's soft, warm lips as her silver eyes fluttered open, smiling playfully up at Weiss.

"But not right this second right?" Ruby licked her lips as she pulled Weiss towards her again… she only fought for a moment before giving in, letting her girlfriend take over her better judgement. Ruby's breaths grew faster a heavier as they kissed passionately, Ruby's hand moving slowly down Weiss' back…

 **Ding-dong!**

"She's here!" Weiss pulled away from Ruby completely flustered as she stood up. Her cheeks burned furiously red as she looked frantically between her girlfriend and the front of the house.

"I'll get it!" Yang called out.

 _Okay, Yang can keep her busy while I get these two dressed and-_ Her thoughts were brought to a screeching halt as she felt hand slip up her dress, warm fingers trailing up the back of her leg.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted scoldingly as she spun back around, Ruby looking more than very amused and pleased with herself. Still, despite her frustration, Weiss felt happy to see her girlfriend acting like her usual self again.

"Uhg, just get dressed, and wake Blake up. Yang and I will stall Winter while you two make yourselves presentable." She let out a long sigh, rubbing her face gently with her palm so as not to smear her perfect makeup.

"Yes dear…" Ruby grumbled indignantly before rolling around to face Blake, their foreheads touching as the cat faunus slept. "Blake, Weiss says we have to stop snuggling."

"What am I going to do with you two?" The exasperated Weiss shook her head before walking out of the bedroom, hoping to get to Winter before Yang did any irreparable damage.

Meanwhile, Blake snored softly, one arm over Ruby as she unconsciously pulled her girlfriend closer. Ruby smiled as she kissed Blake's nose and snuggled up to her just a little bit more, wishing she could fall back asleep in her warm girlfriend's embrace… but she knew Weiss would scold her again if she didn't get both of them up. _Besides, it's been a long time since I've seen Winter._

"Babe wake up." Ruby giggled as she squirmed up a little bit high, Blake's head now resting very comfortably against Ruby's chest… until Ruby, with a devious smile brushed her lips lightly against the sleeping faunus' ears. _Her weak point!_

Blake let loose a soft hum, burying her face into Ruby's chest as she breathed gently against her cat ears. Ruby gently traced the edge of her ear with her tongue, feeling the soft fur tickling her lips until she reached the tip of her tear before she began gently nibbling on it.

"Ruby…" Blake moaned dreamily, her heart beating hard as it filled with a pleasant, blissful warmth. Her bleary eyes blinked open, finding herself staring at Ruby's chest. _Oh… not a bad sight to wake up to._

"Blake," Ruby whispered sensually into her girlfriend's cat ear, her warm breaths causing it to twitch… which she found immensely adorable. "Winter is here, it's time to get up."

"That's today?" Blake whined, pushing her head back into Ruby's breasts, hiding her face from the light, wishing to just fall back asleep.

"Come on, our girlfriend's big sister has come to our home for the first time, I want to show you both off." Much to Blake's disappointment, Ruby pulled away, letting light and cool air wash over her and for just a moment she wanted to hiss in protest.

"Fine…" With great dissatisfaction, Blake sat up, her long black hair messy from her nap as she blinked away the bleariness in her eyes. _It's the last day of the weekend… I just wanted to relax._

* * *

"Welcome to our home!" Weiss smiled brightly, but her girlfriends could feel the nervousness in her voice as the four of them stood before Winter who looked stoic as ever her arms folded behind her back as she stood with impeccable posture.

"So… how was your trip here?" Ruby tepidly posed her question as Winter looked around their living room. It was pretty typical, a black couch big enough for the four of them that could fold down into a bed with a large TV sitting across from it on an entertainment center.

"My trip was adequate, though I am sorry I that I will be unable to stay for very long, I'm afraid Ironwood wants be back in Atlas first thing in the morning, so I only have a short time." Winter looked genuinely sorry and disappointed.

"Well, do you have enough time to join us for tea and coffee?" Weiss asked hopefully.

"Weiss told me your favorite kind of tea, I make it for Blake all the time so it'll be good I promise!" With a wide, toothy grin Yang assured Winter as she leaned up against Weiss with her elbow resting on her shoulder. Her white haired girlfriend ended up not growing much through her time at beacon or afterward, leaving her the shortest of the four of them.

"Tea sounds lovely, thank you Yang." Lightly bowing her head in thanks Winter smiled.

"You're going to love our kitchen! Ruby and I designed it! In fact, we basically rebuilt this place from the floors up!" Weiss couldn't even contain her enthusiasm and she walked towards the kitchen, gesturing with her head for the rest of them to follow her, her girlfriends watching both amused and taken in by how cute Weiss was when she got excited.

"See look!" Weiss spun around, throwing her arms out as she stepped backwards into the kitchen. "We got the highest end appliances, granite countertops of course, the shelving is ample and accessible, I've got to hand it to Ruby, she did a lot of work on this and I think it came out exceptionally well."

"Aw Weiss, don't give me so much credit." Ruby blushed, bashfully rubbing the back of her head as to took her place beside Weiss, nudging her with her hip playfully. "You took the lead on it, I just gave my input, Yang and Blake did all the heavy lifting. We all did this."

"Well it certainly is a beautiful home." Winter couldn't help a light giggle escaping her lips. "I'm very happy for you little sister."

"Thanks…" Weiss blushed lightly at her sister's praise, still she smiled, holding her hands bashfully down in front of her.

"Why don't I pour the tea while you all take a seat." Blake smiled, walking over to the kettle without waiting, their cups already set out on the table as they her girlfriends and guest took their seats, Weiss sitting next to Winter and Ruby and Yang sitting opposite of them.

"So how have the four been? I'd imagine your unique relationship comes with its own challenges, but you seem to be handling them well." The mood in the room, especially from the four lovers grew apprehensive and wary at the strange question, but still Blake poured their tea and coffee for Ruby and Weiss before taking her seat beside Ruby.

"Well, there was definitely a lot to figure out early on, but I think we've got it down pretty good now." Breaking the mounting tension, Yang came to the rescue.

"Yes, there were quite a few things we had to navigate, after all, none of us had had been in a relationship like this before so we were in the dark on a lot of things but we were in the dark together." Weiss smiled warmly as she took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm pleased to hear that, it seems you've made peace with the shortcomings of your kind of relationship." Winter looked and sounds as buttoned down as usual… but all four of the lovers couldn't help but feel that was a backhanded remark. None of them knew how to respond instead, Blake, Yang and Ruby all looked to Weiss who in turn looked to her sister nervously, trying to process the best way to deal with the uncomfortable situation.

"Very well, I suppose that's enough beating around the bush." With a shrug, Winter pushed forward. "As you all know, your relationship is unusual, but don't be mistaken, I personally have nothing against it or any of you, on the contrary I am extremely grateful for how happy you three have made my sister."

"But…" Yang prodded as her girlfriends and sister listened intently, knowing there was about to be a likely distressing _"but"_

"But, I'm afraid that there are individuals of significance that don't share my opinion… some of whom hold positions of power within the SDC." Winter turned to her sister who looked back to her with growing dread in her stomach, but still, Weiss let her continue.

"What I'm trying to say is exactly what I spoke with Weiss about the other day, there are wolves hungrily baying for her ousting from the company and you four and your relationship are fair game to them." Taking another sip of her tea she gauged the expressions of the women around her… and it wasn't good. Ruby looked sad, her worry laden gaze shifting to Weiss. Yang looked like she was still processing but anger flickered in her eyes. Blake held her hands around her teacup, nearly stoic but contemplative.

"Winter… what are you trying to say?" None of them missed the warning in her voice as she looked up to her elder sister.

"What I'm trying to say is this; It is impossible for the four of you to get married to each other, so, I would suggest, for the good of my sister's wellbeing and the good of the SDC… one of you should chose to take my sister's hand in an officially recognized marriage."

The room fell into an extremely uneasy silence as the four lovers looked to one another confused, worried… and hurt, none more so than Weiss herself. Winter patiently waited for them to sort out their feelings.

"Fuck that!" Yang bolted up in her seat, slamming her palms onto the wooden table, her eyes burning crimson as she glared at Winter who unfailingly kept her composure.

"Yeah, fuck that." Ruby stood up, looking far more hurt, her eyes glistening as she looked at Weiss, her girlfriend sitting beside Winter, shrunk back in her chair, her head hung low. Ruby wanted to rush to her side, to hug her… but first she had to say what needed to be said.

"We all love Weiss with all our hearts. When we first got into this we promised each other that we would always be equal in our relationship!" Ruby turned her attention back to Winter, her silver eyes intense with conviction as she stood by her sister.

"We will not marry Weiss for money or corporate politics. We love her and we love each other!" Blake rose up, taking her place beside Ruby.

"Girls…" Weiss whispered, looking up in awe at her lovers, tears pooling in her cool blue eyes.

"You can not get married, you can not have children. Weiss being unable to chose between the three of you is a sign of weakness and indecision!" Winter finally spoke up, folding her arms over her chest as she stood to meet the rage filled eyes of the women standing across from her.

"Your relationship will never be legally recognized and socially you will always be seen by the majority to be nothing more than deviants. Someone who engages in such behavior is not fit to head the SDC!"

"What did you say!?" Yang growled, baring her teeth as her aura flared. "You come into our home and tell us how to handle our relationship!? No, that's it, fuck you we're taking this outside!"

"See," Winter put her arms at her side disarmingly as she sat herself back down. "If you can't handle it from just me, how are you going to handle the media firestorm that will come to your doorstep with much less altruistic intentions?"

"I- I…" Yang blinked, her aura quelling with her rage as her eyes cooled back to their normal lilac.

"Sister…" Weiss was distraught as she looked frantically around the room… everyone looked desolate, Winter's message apparently hitting home for them.

"They will be coming." Winter's voice softened as she looked to the women she considered to be her sisters in law, the women who made her own little sister so happy, her heart ached at what she had to do… but she knew they needed at taste of what was to come. "Someday soon, Weiss' detractors will come after her, and they will do everything they can to destroy public opinion of her. You are all her weakness, the easy targets… and you won't be able to punch your way out of this one."

Again, the room fell into a somber silence. Ruby looked around her to her lovers and sister wishing there was something she could do… but knowing she was helpless to do anything more than comfort them when the shock wore off.

"Whatever comes, together, as Team RWBY and as lovers, we can face it… as long as we have each other." With a soft sigh, Ruby looked to Winter, her silver eyes cold and stark. _We will make it through this together… I know we will._


	9. A Promise

"We're home!" Ruby called into the empty house as she and Blake entered their home. Unenthusiastically they kicked off their shoes and dropped their large, heavy backpacks on the floor before making their way into the living room.

It had been almost a week since their hectic and emotional weekend, Ruby and Blake had left for a short mission at the start of the work week, and had just returned home in time for the weekend again… though they both felt pretty drained.

"It's nice to be back." Despite feeling so tired, Ruby was glad to be home and looking forward to spending a hopefully quiet weekend with her sister and girlfriends.

"Ruby, why do you keep choosing search and destroy missions for us? I get that they tend to pay more but we're good on money right now, couldn't we chose something that doesn't consume our entire week once in awhile?" Blake grumbled, carelessly tossing her backpack on the floor.

"They're usually the most intense missions and I don't want to get rusty." Shrugging dismissively she make her way to the couch… but then came to a stop, her shoulders slumped as she stood with her back turned to her girlfriend. _I told them I wouldn't hide when I'm hurting anymore… I just hate making them worry but lying isn't fair to them either._

"Babe are you alright?" Blake frowned, sensing her girlfriend's mood drop as she stood in the living room lit only by the natural sunlight streaming in from their large bay windows.

"I'm sorry Blake." With a soft breath Ruby forced herself to face her, still, she couldn't bring herself to meet Blake's worry ridden amber gaze. "The truth is, I'm stressed out about what happened last weekend with Winter and… and my scars are still hurting pretty bad. Honestly, killing Grimm helps me blow off steam and keeps my mind off it all."

"Ruby… why are you just now telling me this?" Sadness and guilt gripped Blake's heart as she walked up to Ruby, her forehead gently coming to rest on her girlfriends as she took Ruby's hands into her own. _We've all been stressed about what Winter said, especially Weiss, but Ruby's certainty and positivity really helped. She's been pushing down her own feelings to keep us all from worrying. That's a great thing for a leader maybe… but doesn't she know? Doesn't she understand that we love her and want her to be happy and to be honest with us when she's not?_

"I'm sorry…" She barely whispered as she entwined her fingers with Blake's, clasping their hands together at their sides. Slowly she lifted her head, Blake following, their faces less than an inch apart as they stared into each other's eyes. "I- I'm not good at this… after everything that happened, when I came back to you three after training with Qrow, you know it took a lot for me to try and put what happened behind me. I guess I really wasn't really moving forward, just putting it aside, that's how I've dealt with it over the years… it needs to stop, this isn't fair to any of you."

"Babe, we just want you to be happy." Blake could feel her heart beginning to race her chest, Ruby's big silver eyes looked into her and she couldn't help but be taken in by just how beautiful she was, the scars never changed that. Her thoughts were brought to a screeching halt as Ruby smiled at her playfully, Blake could feel her girlfriend's warm breath against her face and she knew she was at her leader's mercy.

"Then kiss me." Ruby's soft, erotic voice melted away whatever semblance of higher reasoning Blake had, their conversation being completely lost on her as Ruby released her hand before wrapping her arm around her lower back, pulling Blake in hard, eliciting a weak moan from the faunus. Their lips met, Ruby taking control as she leaned in, her tongue sliding past her girlfriend's warm lips, she could feel Blake's rough, cat like tongue gently caressing her own.

"You two having fun?" Ruby felt Blake jump in her grasp, her cat ears shooting straight up the instant she heard Yang's voice… still Ruby didn't let her go that easily.

"Mh-hm!" Ruby hummed in response as she held Blake tighter, deepening their kiss as her hand slowly moved down from her lower back. Freeing her other hand from Blake's Ruby put it firmly at the back of her girlfriend's head all the while Blake let out sort moans and cat like trills and before long… she was purring.

"Okay, that's really hot and all, but I've made dinner every day this week so if you two could hold off on sex long enough to figure out who's cooking, that'd be great." Yang seemed to be having a less than stellar day.

"Rough day at work sis?" Ruby pulled back, giggling softly as she looked to her girlfriend, still reeling from their makeout session.

"Yeah, the class was a mess today." Yang sighed as she walked over to them. However just as Blake was beginning to recover her senses she felt two powerful, muscular arms wrap around her from behind as Yang pulled her in. "I mean, not only did I have to grade tests for my class but I also ended up having to help grade two other classes."

"It was really stressful Blake." Yang whispered as she bit down just tight enough on Blake's cat ear, pulling it just a little eliciting another weak moan as Blake's body quivered helplessly in Yang's grasp.

"This isn't fair!" Blake whined, her brain melting as the teasing from her girlfriends left her panting for breath.

"Yeah, it's not fair having her all to yourself!" With a devious smirk Ruby grabbed Blake by her wrists and forced them behind her, bringing her arms around Yang's back, pinning them there with one hand, her grip was surprisingly strong. Ruby's other hand moved around her waist her fingertips gently brushing over her clothes, coming to a stop as Ruby undid the button on her jeans before pulling down the zipper torturously slowly. White Yang bit into her ear, Ruby kissed Blake down her neck as she began to pull her pants down all the while Blake moaned and quivered helplessly between the sisters.

"Um… I'm home." At the sudden intrusion by the new voice Yang suddenly pulled away from Blake, Ruby following close behind as they looked pleadingly at Weiss as she stood at the front door with her arms behind her back.

"It's not what it looks like! She came onto me I swear!" Yang blurted out looking genuinely terrified.

"It's true! She tried to seduce us with her adorableness and unbearably hot moaning!" Ruby seconded, standing beside her sister while Blake frantically caught her breath, trying to cool herself down and get her senses back.

"Sure." Weiss rolled her eyes with a smirk. _Six years together and somehow that joke still hasn't gotten old for them._

"Weiss, tell them to stop teasing me without following through." Blake whined as she walked shakily beside Ruby, still panting and not even bothering to fix her clothes aside from pulling her pants up.

"Don't pretend like you don't like it." Weiss said simply, getting a stifled snort of laughter from Yang.

"Anyway, why are you back so early? I mean it's great that you're home but normally you don't get back until after dinner." Ruby tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Yeah, I cut my day short, there was something more important I had to do. I'm glad you and Blake got back from your mission today though I probably should have made sure… I just didn't want to wait anymore." A light blush tinted her cheeks as she looked shyly at the floor. Her three girlfriends exchanged confused looks before turning back to her.

"Something wrong there Weiss? You're acting kinda weird." Yang cocked an eyebrow and for a moment Weiss looked disheartened, retreating back a step. Then, she shook her head lightly, closing her eyes she took a long, steadying inhale before she stood up straight and her cool blue eyes opened, burning with conviction and gravity.

"I've been thinking a lot about what Winter said last weekend." That was all it took for the mood in the room to plummet. Still, she pressed on.

"Winter was right, a media firestorm is probably inevitable and our relationship is going to be an easy target… they will come for us." With a nervous gulp, Weiss steeled herself for what she had to say. "It's going to be hard. I knew the shortcomings of our relationship when we started this six years ago, we can't get married and we can't have kids, I always knew those things and with the three of you, I thought I could handle it... but now it feels like the world is against us and the storm hasn't even reached us yet."

"Weiss…" Ruby's voice was little more than a distant whisper as she looked helplessly to her girlfriend standing before her, she could see pain her her cool blue eyes… but also strength. As much as she wanted to rush to her side, to take Weiss in her arms and tell her they could make it through anything together… she knew she couldn't, even as her voice was tight with sadness and her words cut like knives into Ruby's heart, filling her with dread, she knew she had to let her say what she needed to say.

"I don't know if I can handle what's to come, I don't know if I'll lose my company, I don't know what the world at large will see me as by the end of all this… but I know that you three are the greatest thing to happen to me… this relationship is the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I love you all with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life, the four of us together." With a trembling breath, Weiss got down on one knee and pulled out a black box the size of her hand, holding it out to her three girlfriends.

"I know it's not official, but I don't care! Blake, Yang, Ruby… will you marry me?"

After a gasp of surprise from Ruby… the room fell silent as Weiss opened the jewelry box. Four rings, one for each of them, glimmered in the soft sunlight that flowed into the room. They were silver, with four beautiful gems on each ring; Yellow topaz, red ruby, black diamond and white diamond, all together forming square atop the rings.

The reactions from her stunned girlfriends all differed. Yang's hands covered her mouth, her eyes fixed on the rings, Blake just looked floored as she looked between the rings and her girlfriend holding them, and Ruby… she smiled softly as she looked at Weiss, tears pooling in her silver eyes until drops began to roll down her cheeks.

"Yes…" Ruby was the first to respond, her voice a soft whisper, but Weiss couldn't mistake the unparalleled happiness in her eyes as Ruby stepped forward and fell to her knees, crying the all the while as she took one ring from the box. "Yes Weiss… I will marry you."

"I- I never thought…" Blake's words were choked as she began to cry, falling on her knees beside Ruby. "I never thought I would have this… after everything that happened, everything I had done, it just didn't think I would ever… oh Weiss, yes! Yes I will marry you!"

"Yang?" Weiss said hopefully, looking up to her girlfriend who remained frozen in place with her hand over her mouth. Ruby and Blake already hand their rings on and then all eyes were on Yang.

"Oh Weiss…" Yang's hand fell to her side, soft sobs escaped her smiling lips as she collapsed beside Ruby. "Marriage… the four of us, together for the rest of our lives, growing old together. Weiss, nothing would make me happier! So yeah, if you'll have me, I would love to marry you."

"Blake, will you marry us?" Ruby smiled, wiping away her tears as she held her ringed hand out to Blake with Yang following suit with a bright, beaming grin. After a moment, Blake sniffled, wiping her tears away with her sleeve.

"Yes… if you two will take me, I promise to spend the rest of my life with all of you." Blake's hands trembled as she took both Yang and Ruby's in her own, kissing the back of their hands softly.

However, as Weiss took the last ring, sliding it onto her finger… she broke down, all the emotions that she'd bottled up began to break through. Fear, worry, apprehension, gratitude, a happiness that's impossible to describe and above all else… love. The now empty box fell from her hand as her body went weak, her hands falling to her side as tears streamed silently down her face.

"Thank you… thank you." She sobbed softly, her eyes shut tight in a fruitless attempt to stem the flow to tears. "You don't know how happy I am right now, but I can't stop crying… thank you, thank for- for saying yes. I love you all so much!"

"Aww, snowflake, we love you too!" Before Weiss knew what was going on, she felt strong arms scoop up. Yang held her bridal style as she stood, cradling her crying girlfriend as she gently swayed her back and forth. Yang gently brushed aside Weiss' hair from with her nose before landing a gentle, tender kiss on her forehead. She could feel Weiss relaxing in her arms as she rested her head against Yang's muscular shoulder a content smile formed from her lips, she couldn't help but feel safe.

"You too Blake!" Ruby shouted excitedly and before Blake could ask what _"Too"_ meant… she found out. As though she weighed nothing Ruby scooped her up the same way Yang held Weiss, only instead of a gentle forehead kiss Ruby held her girlfriend up a little higher. After looking lovingly into each other's eyes for a long moment, Ruby craned her neck as Blake put her hand behind her head before closing the gap. Ruby's soft lips pressed against Blake's before she let her tongue enter her mouth. Blake closed her eyes, focusing on every sensation of Ruby's touch, the way her grip tightened as she kissed her, the way her tongue felt as it lapped at her own and the soft hums of pleasure that Ruby made as she pulled her deeper into their kiss.

 _This is our weird, crazy, unorthodox relationship. This is the life we chose to spend together, till death do we part, a promise that lasts a lifetime, officially recognized or not. This is our life, and I'll do everything I can to protect it._


	10. Time Together

Ruby hummed along to a tune in her head as she rolled the vacuum over the living room floor, her new ring proudly displayed on her finger. Across the room Blake stayed very far away from the loud contraption, practically clinging to the walls as dusted. Yang was at the front door, taking her shoes off as she came back from taking out the trash. Saturday mornings were cleaning day, as dictated by Weiss.

"Yes, that would be excellent, thank you Lillie." Weiss hung up as she joined her girlfriends and now, unofficial wives in the living room, closing her scroll with a stressful sigh. "Alright everyone, we need to talk."

"I didn't do it!" Ruby frantically asserted as she shut off the vacuum looking extremely guilt, though Weiss was afraid to ask if her girlfriend was joking or if she really had done something.

"What's up Snowflake? You look a bit stressed out." Yang tilted her head bemused.

"Something wrong Weiss?" Blake relaxed a little as the vacuum silenced.

"Well, since we can't officially be married I figured I would kill two birds with one stone. I've arranged for a press event and company gala where I will formally introduce you three as my fiancees, that will put us ahead of any smear campaign my detractors try to run, and behind the scenes I will put all three of you in my will so should anything happen to me you three will get equal shares of my estate and my majority share of the SDC, that's about as official as we can get."

"Wow Weiss that's... heavy and sudden." Yang gulped. "When exactly is this going down?"

"In four days, so we need to do some shopping for our formal wear." Weiss looked to her unofficial fiancees, Blake looked neutral, Yang looked worried and Ruby… looked like she was absolutely dreading it.

"I think this is the smart play, we can circumvent what Winter said was coming." Blake looked to her two less than thrilled girlfriends, trying to reassure them. "Anyone that wants to use us as a means to tear Weiss down will be stopped before they can try."

"I mean, when you put it like that it sounds cool but…" Ruby rubbed the back of her head nervously, her gaze shying away from Weiss' as she looked down at the floor.

"Four days… that's a work day, so I'll be coming off of teaching and grading to going straight to a formal gala? I need to sleep you know." Yang was in the same boat as Ruby for an entirely different reason. Back when she was younger she loved dances and parties, now after work she just wanted a quiet night at home with the girls she loved and her favorite shows.

"I have to work that day too you know and unlike you I'll have to get changed at work because my day doesn't end until well after yours." Weiss narrowed her eyes at Yang, feeling a bit defensive… until she caught herself. She let out a soft sigh, breathing away her defensiveness and anger before looking back up at Yang with soft, pleading blue eyes.

"I just thought you would all be more happy about this, I know it's short notice but… it's the best I could do to make our relationship officially recognized. I love you all and I want to show the world, before my detractors paint the picture how they want it and show the world before we can… and make us look however they want." She frowned, it wasn't a guilt trip, it was her genuine feelings… and they knew that.

"Geez Snowflake, I'm sorry, I guess I really was thinking of it from your perspective. I was being thoughtless, I'd be proud be to with you there, showing the world exactly what we're about." Yang genuinely felt bad, normally she was good at empathizing with her girlfriends, not quite as good as her sister, but she'd improved a lot… or at least, she thought she did.

"Weiss, I understand and of course I'll go, I've just never really been a fancy dancy type person." Ruby frowned, that wasn't all that was bothering her, but she just didn't want to say it, especially in front of Weiss.

"I know sweetheart but this is important. What if I promise I won't leave your side the whole party, would that make you feel more at ease. Though I would like us all to dance together…" She could see Ruby wince at the idea, Ruby never really cared to learn how to dance, even though both Weiss and Blake and offered at least once before.

"But Weiss…" Ruby whined, pouting adorably, still, her girlfriend was steadfast against the onslaught of adorableness.

"Ruby, trust me, it'll be fine, both Blake and myself are exceptional dancers, just follow our lead and it'll be easy." Weiss didn't know how else she could comfort her distressed girlfriend… until an idea hit her in a eureka moment. "Why don't I give you a basic lesson tonight? Just the essentials, I promise it's a lot less scary when you know what you're doing."

"I don't know… I don't think I'll be able to pick it up with just one lesson." Ruby prodded at the beige carpet with her foot as she stared bashfully at the floor.

"Babe, you kill giant monsters for fun, the leader I know never let fear get her down." Weiss smirked, sure that the challenge would bring fire back into Ruby's heart… but instead, she only looked more sad and sheepish.

"Weiss, Ruby really doesn't look comfortable, she said she'd go so maybe stop pressuring her?" Yang looked to her little sister, her worry only growing as Ruby seemed to shrink back even more after coming to her defense.

"I'm sorry Ruby, I really didn't mean to be insensitive." Before Weiss could take more than two steps towards her distraught girlfriend, Ruby shook her head, smiling softly to her, looking more like her usual self.

"I'm fine, really, it's just a dance, no big deal. I really couldn't ask for a better teacher, so I'm counting on you!" Her signature cheerful energy was back in her voice, however Weiss just couldn't help feeling something was off… still, she didn't press it.

"Alright, if you're sure. Don't worry, it'll be just the basics." She tried to shake it off, a soft smile forming from her lips, but she still couldn't get over that subtle darkness that clouded her leader's eyes.

"Well, it's getting about lunch time so how about I make us all some food while you girls finish the cleaning?" Ruby unplugged the vacuum and began wrapping the cord up. "There isn't much left to do so I'll make something quick."

"Lunch sounds great! That's sis!" Yang grinned as she plopped herself down on the couch.

"Thanks Ruby, I'll do the dishes after you're done." Blake gave a small, thankful nod to Ruby, both for the food… and for putting away that damn vacuum!

"Sounds good, I'll go get started!" Now Ruby looked truly happy, the dark clouds giving way to sunlight in her heart as she walked into the kitchen. Something so small as making a mean for her wives and sister… it made her chest flutter with joy. Love can even make mundane things like cleaning and cooking seem like wonderful gifts.

* * *

"Aaah." Yang sighed in satisfaction as she sank into the soft cushions of the couch, Blake sat on one side of her, sitting between her girlfriend and the couch's armrest while Weiss took Yang's other side with a space at the far end of the couch saved just for Ruby.

"It was delicious, thank you babe." Blake smiled contently as Ruby walked in front of them.

"I'm really glad you all liked it!" She was genuinely delighted at how much they liked her cooking. Feeling very pleased that her cooking made her girlfriends and sister look so happy. Ruby took her place beside Weiss, snuggling up to her as she leaned against the shortest among them.

"Okay, so… I had this thought."

"Uh-oh." Yang quipped, Ruby sending her a stern look as her sister giggled at her expense.

"What is it babe?" Blake shoved Yang with her shoulder as she leaned forward to look at her leader whose cheeks were tinted red as she looked at her hands that she fiddled with in her lap.

"Well, you know, since we're all married now, or at least, as married as we can be… if it were official… whose last name would we all take?" Ruby looked nervously but hopefully at her sister and girlfriends, all of whom looked at little taken aback by the question.

"Couldn't we all just keep our own names?" Yang's furrowed brow made Ruby's heart sink. 'Didn't she want to take their lover's last names?'

"Well, I was kinda thinking we should all take Weiss' last name." Ruby's blush intensified as she pressed herself a little closer to Weiss, bringing the middle of her index finger to her lips. "Her last name is important and you know… I really like how Ruby Schnee sounds."

"Ruby…" Weiss eyes grew wide as a blissful heat filled her chest.

Just as Ruby turned to look at her… Weiss pounced, grabbing Ruby by both her wrists as she pinned her down and got on top of her. She could feel Ruby struggling weakly beneath her, giggling nervously as Weiss stared hungrily down at her. Weiss lost it, still pinning her girlfriend's wrists to the cushions she leaned down to her, gently kissing down her neck, Ruby letting out soft moans as her struggling grew weaker and weaker.

"You've done it now Ruby, Weiss is getting dominant." Yang chuckled to herself as Weiss had her way with her sister, Ruby's moans growing louder as Weiss forced her arms up, pinning both her wrists with one hand while her other made its way up Ruby's shirt.

"Anyway, I'm not sure I like how Yang Schnee sounds." She turned to Blake who shrugged indifferently.

"Blake Schnee sounds alright I guess." Blake's gaze drifted up for a moment in ponderance. "Well, if we could take each other's last name, it would probably have to be either mine or Weiss', since it would probably be weird for you to take Ruby's last name or her to take yours."

"Yeah, I guess, and besides, Yang Rose doesn't sound great either." Yang turned to her girlfriend and sister who were now both topless, wearing only their bras and very much occupied with each other as they made out. _When did they… eh, whatever._

"Though I'm surprised you'd want to give up your last name Ruby, I mean, considering…" Yang trailed off awkwardly, the thought having left her mouth before she realized it would probably bring the mood down.

"If it's for us... I'd be happy... with it." Ruby was huffing for breath as Weiss let up just long enough for her to respond and then pushing her down by her shoulders and gently kissed her girlfriend before softly biting Ruby's lower lip making her body writhe under Weiss' grasp, her breaths coming as soft, shaky moans.

"Well, I guess Yang Belladonna doesn't sound bad." She couldn't help a little blush tinting her cheeks as she said it, pulling her knees to her chest as she leaned against Blake, a small smile forming from her lips as she felt Blake's warmth through her clothes.

"I like Ruby Belladonna, sounds good to me!" Ruby spoke up hurriedly before Weiss again took her breath away.

"But Ruby is right, Weiss' last name has the most significance outside of our relationship and personal lives. If we were all going to take one last name, it would probably have to be hers." Their ever pragmatic girlfriend chimed in logically.

"Well, I could live with it… too bad we can't be officially married. To be honest," Yang's voice took on a somber note as her lilac eyes dulled with sadness. She leaned a little harder into Blake, imbibing her warmth before Blake wrapped an arm around her and held her close.

"To be honest… I'd like to have a wedding, and the other things that come with a more traditional relationship." Yang curled herself tighter into a ball and Blake held her closer, looking to her girlfriend with worry before turning pleadingly to Weiss and Ruby who were both now very focused on Yang with concern in their eyes.

"Yang…" Ruby said softly sitting up after Weiss. They all knew six years ago what their relationship meant and what the costs would be… the fact that this was all coming up now, it was terrifying Ruby, and it was reflected in the increasingly intense burning pain in her scars.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" None of them were used to seeing Yang like this, and Ruby knew she only got this way after bottling something up for a long time, which only made her own fear grow. _We aren't going to break up… are we?_

"Sunshine, we're here for you." Weiss crawled over to her distressed girlfriend and behind her Ruby stood up and made her way behind the couch. Weiss snuggled up to her right side, Blake comforted her and held her from the left and Ruby… she knelt down behind her sister and wrapped her arms around her.

"I- I need to tell you all something… something that's been bothering me for a while." Yang was being reserved and nervous, and that scared Ruby. Only the worst possible outcomes played in Ruby's mind. Was this the end of their relationship? Ruby felt her soul chill at the thought, she loved them all and couldn't imagine her life without them, without even realizing it she held her sister tighter, bracing herself for the worst.

"Sunshine, we love love you, no matter what, you can tell us." Weiss smiled softly, but there was no mistaking the fear in her eyes as she held Yang.

"I- it's just… ever since Jaune and Pyrrha made their announcement about her pregnancy… I- I've felt…" Yang could barely get her words out, she hugged herself into a ball, burying her face into her knees.

"Yang, do you want to have a baby?" Blake frowned, gently brushing Yang's hair with her fingers.

"Is that true?" Ruby's fear diminished, only for a moment, now mingled with the bitterness of heartbreak for her sister. She'd be lying if she said she'd never thought about it too, they've been together for six years. She'd occasionally let herself fantasize about carrying Weiss or Blake's baby through some magical innovation… but it never got her as down as Yang was now.

"Yeah… it's stupid, I know that. We all knew what we were getting into when we started this and back then, when I was just a thrill seeking kid, having a child dragging me down was something I never thought I would want… but here we are, six years into a stable, loving relationship, we all have our careers, we're accomplished, we have a beautiful home, supportive friends and family. I- I think I'm ready now, I never thought I would be, but I am…"

"I'm not ready…" Weiss' voice came as a weak, sorrow filled whisper as she hugged Yang tighter. "I'm not ready. My career, my company, I'm not ready to put a child first. Besides, you all know the home I grew up in, I'd be a terrible parent… I don't want to bring any of my father into my life but I feel like, if we have a child, I'll end up acting like him, and that terrifies me."

"Weiss you know you're nothing like him." Blake's voice was soft and comforting as she tried her best to keep her girlfriends afloat as they became mired in depression. She looked to Ruby for support… but found that her youngest girlfriend had grown as depressed as Yang and Weiss.

"I don't know if I'm ready either." The admission stung as it left her lips, but it was the truth.

"I would love the have your baby, either of you and I think I could be a good mom… but I'm a Huntress first and I've seen first hand what that can mean," Tears pooled in her silver eyes, her lips quivered as her voice was choked as she held back her sobs. "What if I have a child and one day I- I don't come back?"

"Ruby don't say that!" Yang ripped herself from her girlfriends' sides as stood up, facing her little sister, her eyes glistening as she edged on the brink of crying. "You're not going to do what Summer did! You can't! I can't lose you like that! We can't lose you like that! It's why you never go on a mission alone, Blake is always by your side, that was the deal remember!?"

"But Sis… what if someday that isn't enough?" Ruby wrapped her arms around herself for comfort as she looked down at the floor, unable to meet the worried eyes of her loved ones. "What if we could have kids? What if we raise a happy loving family like we had with mom and dad and then one day, it's all just… gone? I don't want to put our child through that."

"I think we all need to take a step back." Weiss sighed softly, doing her best to maintain her composure even though she could feel herself holding back the urge to just let go and cry.

"Weiss is right." Blake was still on damage control, desperate to try to comfort her rapidly deteriorating girlfriends. "I think I'm ready to have kids as well… this world can be a beautiful place full of love and I think, despite the darkness, carrying on, having a family, having kids… love, it's what the light is made of. Still, I'm okay with the love I have for all of you, that's enough for me."

"Still, that doesn't matter." Blake sighed, internally scolding herself for being selfish. "Having children is a huge decision and it's something we all need to be together on. Maybe some day, when we're all ready, we can look at our options together and decide what we want as a family."

"That's a good idea Blake." Weiss concurred, feeling immense gratitude to Blake for being the calm, rational girlfriend they always relied on.

"I'm sorry… I think I need to take a nap." Ruby covered half her face with her hand… the half that bared the scar that was tormenting her with burning pain. Her eyes were dull and tired as she let go a weak, trembling sigh. Without another word, she made her way to the back of the house, first to the bathroom for her sleeping pills, and then she'd collapse onto their bed, and sleep.

"I'm sorry… I never should have brought this up." Yang shook her head, admonishing herself.

"No, I'm happy you finally told us. This was a conversation that needed to happen." Weiss stood up, stepping in front of Yang, smiling softly as she took both of her hands in her own. "Someday Sunshine, I may be ready, and so might Ruby. When that day comes… I'll happily raise a family with the three of you."

"Thank you Snowflake… that would make me really happy." Yang smiled, wiping away her tears with her forearm. Her eyes caught Blake looking pleadingly at her and Yang knew what she wanted to do, with an affirming nod she told Blake that she was okay… and then Blake left, hurrying after their leader who needed comforting more than Yang did at the moment.

 _We'll make it through this. We'll make it through anything._


	11. Secrets and Strength

"Okay, I'm good, let's get going!" Yang ran into the living room, putting on her elegant diamond earrings as she joined Blake by the door. Blake wore a knee length dark purple dress with a black ribbon wrapped around her waist tied into a bow at her back.

Blake however was stunned silent, she couldn't take her eyes off Yang. She was gorgeous, her long golden hair as striking as ever, she wore a beautiful lavender halter dress and flowed down to her ankles, splitting on one side down from the knee down.

"Um, Remnant to Blake, you ready to go or what?" Yang snapped her fingers in front of Blake, jolting her out her stupor.

"Yeah, sorry it's just that you look so… wow." Blake just couldn't stop gawking at her girlfriend, Yang was always beautiful but it seemed she turned to dial up to eleven.

"He-he, thanks!" Yang smiled bashfully. "It's been awhile since I got to get all dressed up, like, except for the school's dances and stuff but yeah, I'm actually pretty excited about this."

"Well, you look gorgeous." Blake gave soft smile as she put her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders.

"You look beautiful too Kitten." Yang ran her hands down Blake's sides, bringing them to rest on her hips. To pair stared lovingly at each other, a deep, pleasant warmth flared in Blake's chest as she looked into her lover's soft lilac eyes. Yang pulled her girlfriend closer, looking down into her love filled gaze before her eyes closed and she lowered her head, Blake stretched up, closing the gap between them until their lips met. Yang hummed in contentment, kissing Blake softly as she held her close.

 _How did I ever get so lucky? I have such beautiful, amazing girlfriends, I have so much love given to me and just as much love to give. There's no jealousy, no possessiveness, just love between all four of us._

"I love you Blake, I love you so much." Yang felt her heart swelling with joy and gratitude for the life she was so blessed to have as she looked into the eyes of her loved one, feeling her in her arms as she held her close.

"I love you too." Blake let herself be taken in by the feelings that permeated through her chest. Her eyes closed as she let Yang pull her in, Blake's head coming to rest over her shoulder. Blake never felt safer than when Yang held her. It all felt so warm and familiar and loving, her firm, toned muscles, the faintly fruity scent of her long blonde hair… the beat of her heart. Blake found herself purring softly as she snuggled up into Yang's chest, sharing each other's warmth.

 _After everything I've been through, after the White Fang… I never really gave much thought to love. My life's mission became about one crusade after another; Equality, justice, absolution and redemption… it wasn't until I became part of Team RWBY that things really started to change for me. Then, before I knew it, respect, admiration, loyalty and caring became… something so much greater. I know now just how lucky I am._

"Blake…" Yang's suddenly darker, sadder tone cut Blake's purring off. Blake pulled away, just a little, enough so that she could once again look into her girlfriend's eyes… eyes filled with worry and guilt.

"What's wrong Yang?" Blake held onto her girlfriend's shoulders, but Yang couldn't keep her eyes on Blake's… another sign of guilt. _But what would Yang have to feel guilty about?_

"Okay, I'm going to ask you something, but whatever your answer, you can not tell Weiss or Ruby, especially Ruby." Now Blake was very, very concerned, especially at the desperation in Yang's voice.

"Yang, what's going on?" Keeping secrets from each other, especially big ones, is something they all promised not to do. Yet, that look in her girlfriend's lilac eyes, whatever it was it was eating away at her.

"Just promise me!" She felt Yang's hands tighten around her waist as she shook her lightly, her voice now had the slightest hint of anger mixed in with the desperation and guilt.

"I…" With an audible gulp Blake stared into Yang's eyes. In her mind, she frantically debated with herself before finally letting out a soft breath, her body relaxing in Yang's grasp. _I trust Yang with my life, whatever this is, I trust her._

"I promise." With an affirming nod and conviction burning in her amber eyes she gave her answer, and that seemed to help Yang calm down quite a bit as she looked back at her deep gratitude.

"Thank you." Yang's hands fell weakly from Blake's hips back to her sides as she took a shaky inhale, steeling herself for what she had to say.

"Blake, next week is the first year's first missions and I've been assigned to have a student team follow me around on my next mission. It shouldn't be too dangerous but…" Yang hesitated, and Blake knew she was dancing around the core of what she really wanted to say, still, Blake gave her the time she needed to get the strength to tell her.

"This next mission, I want you there and I don't want Ruby to know why because… it has to do with what happened that night, the night she got her scars." There was a deathly chill in her voice as the whispered those last few words and Blake felt that chill all the way down her spine. It had been years with no movement and no news following the aftermath… had Yang been looking into it on her own?

"Yang… you can't just keep this from her." She understood why, she really did, but the idea of keeping such a huge secret didn't sit well with her at all.

"We don't know anything for sure, it's just a lead, maybe. How can we tell her? What will she do? You saw how bad it was, how bad it still is for her? It was so traumatic she blocked everything out, what do you think will happen to her if we open up the floodgates like that!?" Yang was shouting, her body trembled, whether from anger or guilt Blake could be sure, however, tears began to pool on the surface of her shimmering eyes.

"What if this turns out to be nothings or worse…" Again her voice grew dark with ominous foreboding. "What if it is something, and Ruby decides to follow us on her own? What if she comes face to face with what happened? It will break her."

"Okay… I understand why, I do, but I don't like how this feels Yang." Blake folded her arms over her chest.

"Do you think I do?! I hate this, but I'm just trying to protect my little sister! We don't know what we'll find on the other end of this mission, and I don't want to reopen the wounds from that night without something that could bring her closure." Yang could barely hold back her tears as she begged Blake not to go back on her promise.

"Alright… I won't tell, and I'll come with, but if we find something that important to her, we can't keep it a secret." Blake didn't like any of this, but she couldn't send Yang off alone with a group of kids to possibly face what Ruby did.

"Thank you Blake… I'm really sorry for putting all this on you, I'm just glad I won't be alone on this one." A weak, fragile smile brightened her face as she carefully wiped away her tears.

"Partners, just like old times." Blake stood up on her toes as she gave her girlfriend another soft, reassuring kiss. "Come on, we should get going."

"Yeah, let's go, Ruby and Weiss are probably getting tired of waiting for us." Yang's characteristic smirk had returned and her voice sounded more like normal. A weight felt like it had been lifted from her chest after having told someone. Words couldn't express just how thankful she was to Blake.

"After you beautiful." Blake grinned playfully, holding the front door open for her girlfriend.

"Thank you sexy." Yang winked as she stepped outside, Blake couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'Yep, she definitely back to her normal self.'

As the pair left their home, Blake took one last look inside before shutting the lights off and closing the door.

* * *

"Okay, it's almost time." Weiss looked to her Scroll one more time, reading the text from Blake and Yang informing her they were on their way before closing it and letting out a soft sigh.

Weiss had spent the majority of her day at work either doing actual work or doing the finishing touches on the party before she had to get ready herself. She wore an elegant snow white dress that fell into a gradient of black as it flowed down to her ankles and a silver and diamond bracelet at her wrist.

Still she nervously watched guests arrive from the corner of the room. This whole thing was her idea… but she still felt apprehensive. Weiss was accustomed to the spotlight, she had to be, so this gala should have been easy, but it wasn't.

 _Okay, so about three quarters of the guests have arrived, things are going pretty well so far. Blake and Yang should be no more than ten minutes out… everything is going according to plan._ Weiss let out an uneasy breath, for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. _No one will be brazen enough to be directly discriminatory or hostile here, that would make them look bad myself and my girlfriends will look like sympathetic victims. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if we were to experience some backhanded remark._

"None of that Weiss, just keep calm. Everything is going to go smoothly." Despite her pep talk she couldn't miss the unfriendly glances she had received from some of the guests, many were her companies investors and shareholders. The world of business was very different from the battlefield her girlfriends were used to, it's a place where you have to smile and share a drink with people you know are your enemy, and that never got less stressful.

"Miss Schnee!" A sudden, familiar voice laden with concern stole her attention from the arriving guests. Beside her, Lillie, her assistant, panted for breath, it was unlike her to lose her composure and that made Weiss scared. Her mind began conjuring up all sorts of disasters before Lillie shut them down.

"Your girlfriend, Ruby, I believe something is wrong with her." She finally caught her breath. "I passed her in the hallway and it looked like she was crying!"

"what!? Where!? How long ago!?" Weiss concerns about the party were burned away, her thoughts now solely focused on her girlfriend.

"She was going towards the woman's restroom, not even minutes ago, I rushed straight here to tell you." Lillie pointed in the direction of the door leading to the restrooms.

"Thank you." Weiss' voice was cold, her eyes fixed on the direction she was pointed to. "If anyone asks any questions, make something up. I don't want anyone else to know something is wrong."

"Yes Ma'am." Lillie nodded understandingly as Weiss wasted no time walking as quickly as she could to the door without attracting attention.

Things had been stressful for Ruby, hell, things had been stressful for all of them, but Ruby had been suffering the most. Their youngest girlfriend was good at hiding when she was hurting, she wanted them all to be happy even when she wasn't. Honestly, Weiss was ashamed at herself, she never knew just how bad Ruby's pain got until that night Qrow brought her home. Ruby always took it upon herself to be the strong one, so much so that she would forgo taking care of herself psychologically. After that night she was brought home from the bar by her uncle, Weiss promised herself she would be more attentive to Ruby's needs… _Clearly I missed something. Damn it! I should have been paying more attention, I just hope I can still help._

The hallway was quiet, save for the sound of of her heels clicking against the tile floors and the soft musing that flowed from the ballroom. With no one is sight she sped up her pace, hurrying down the hall towards the bathroom. She slowed down as she reached the bathroom door, pausing as she closed her eyes, putting her ear to the door. No crying… no sound at all, her heart sank at the prospect of Ruby simply having gone home to be alone with her pain, or maybe the bar again. Still, she hoped she was wrong, with a deep, steadying breath she pushed open the door.

"Ruby?" Weiss's soft voice echoed through the room. To her relief, a woman stood alone in front of the mirror, she wore a beautiful crimson red strapless dress that cut off just above her knees that was black at its hem. Weiss' relief faded as she saw Ruby visibly stiffen, flinching at her voice before turning away.

"I- I'm fine Weiss, I'll be out there in a few minutes." The way Ruby tried to force her voice to have the light and energy it usually had broke Weiss' heart.

"Sweetheart, how much does it hurt?" Weiss closed the door behind her, locking it as she walk up to her girlfriend.

"Enough… it hurts enough, but I can handle it." As her girlfriend drew closer, Ruby stepped away, keeping her back turned to her as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"If it's this bad you can go home, I'll take you. This party isn't nearly as important as you Ruby, please, let me see you." Ruby stopped, she had run out of space to retreat and… _I don't want her to go. How can I tell her what's wrong? It's so stupid and… and I just can't tell her, not Weiss._

"Ruby, I love you, I just want to help." With just one more step Weiss close the distance between them, wrapping her arms around Ruby from behind and pulling her close. She could feel Ruby struggle for only a moment, but Weiss only held her tighter as she gently kissed her neck.

"If there's something wrong I want to know so I can help you, when I proposed to the three of you, that wasn't meaningless. To me, it's a promise to be there, no matter what, for the rest of our lives, I want us to be together, I want to see you all happy and I want to show you every day just how much I love you. So, sweetheart please, tell me what's wrong." Weiss' voice was soft and soothing, cooling both the burning that tormented her in her scars… and the doubt and fear in her heart.

"It's stupid." She said simply, but she could feel her resolve slipping away. She wanted to tell Weiss, she wanted help, she wanted to be held and most of all, she wanted to be understood.

"If it hurts you I take it very seriously." Her embrace tightened, her face resting on Ruby's neck. "Let me help you."

"Okay." Ruby's words trembled as she tried to fight back the tears that were clouding her eye. She took a small step forward, letting Weiss release her before she slowly turned around.

Then… Weiss understood, or at least, she thought she did. Ruby stared up at her, one eye glistened as tears pooled in it… the other looked still and had an unrealness to it. Slowly Ruby's hand rose up to her face, her gaze lowered as her fingers trailed along the burn scar that spanned the length of her face and down her neck, with her dress, you could see a small portion of the larger part of her burn above her right breast that covered most of her torso.

"Oh Ruby…" Weiss's tone was gently but wavering, her throat tight as her vision clouded. "You look beautiful, your scars don't change that."

"Yes, they do." Ruby growled bitterly under her breath, her hand still covering half of her face. "I- I never think about these things, I'm Ruby Rose, I'm a huntress! I got these scars doing my job, I tell you all that I'm proud of them because they are what brought us together… I don't get depressed about how I look…"

"Ruby, you're strong, you're the strongest person I've ever known. You're one of the greatest Huntresses there are, you push through pain I can't even begin to imagine and still manage to bring so much light and joy into my life… but sweetheart, you're human, it's okay to have a weakness, you don't have to be strong every second of your life. You have us, we can be your strength, we can help you. Even in our relationship all you do is give to us, but you need to take something too. So right now, I want you to take my hand and listen to me."

Weiss reached up, gently taking Ruby's hand in her own as she pulled it off her face, revealing her scar. She could see her wife's lip quiver and her jaw clench, tears rolled down from her left eye and just for a moment, her hand fought Weiss to return to her face, but instead Weiss held it tighter as she leaned in towards her. With a soft, loving smile Weiss closed her eyes and tenderly kissed the burn scar beneath her eye, she could hear Ruby losing her will to fight as a soft sob escaped her lips.

"You don't have to believe me, but I think your scars are beautiful. How could I not? They're part of someone I love, someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. I hate that it hurts you, but I still think you're the most beautiful woman in the world, all three of you, but you have a special light that just makes you shine and it's always captivated me. I promised I won't leave your side the entire party and I meant it. If you think you can lean on me, I'll be strong for you and we'll face them all together, and I will proudly introduce you as my beautiful fiancee."

"Weiss…" Looking into the cool blue eyes of her fiancee, eyes that looked into her with nothing but pure love and adoration, Ruby let go of the strength she had been holding onto. She threw herself at Weiss, holding her tight. She believed every word Weiss said and it made her happier than words could begin to describe.

"Whenever you're ready, we'll join the party." She cooed softly, lovingly rubbing Ruby's head, her fingers running through her soft, short hair.

 _I'll protect them all, no matter what. If we are strong together, nothing can break us down._


	12. Histories: Part 1

The massive sand-scape stretched endlessly in all directions, towering dunes cast cool shadows over steep valleys and sparse vegetation scattered the sprawling desert. Even from high in the air, the desert seemed boundless, like nothing Ruby had ever seen before as she stared listlessly out the window of the airship flying over Vacuo.

"Hey," Weiss' voice accompanied by her soft touch as her hand gently fell on top of Ruby's shook the leader from her daze. Turning from the window she looked at Weiss' smiling face. "We'll be landing soon."

"Yeah, then we have a short drive once we land to get to the mine." Ruby's eyes and even her tone seemed lifeless and lackluster, Weiss could only assume she was in significant pain. All she could do is hold her girlfriend's hand a little tighter and scoot a little closer, resting her head against Ruby's shoulder.

"That's right." Weiss closed her eyes, smiling softly as she felt her girlfriend's head come to rest on top of hers as Ruby turned her hand around, entwining her fingers with Weiss' before letting go a soft sigh of what sounded almost like contentment.

"Thanks for letting me come with you… I don't think I'd like to be at home alone while Blake and Yang are on their mission." Ruby whispered her admission, closing her eye. She could feel her girlfriend's steady, gently breathing slowly matching her own and she she felt Weiss shifting slightly beside her, she couldn't help but smile too.

"The miners have apparently had more trouble with Grimm than our analysts predicted, the overseers at the dig site and back at the Vacuo branch headquarters appealed to hire Huntsmen to augment the conventional defenses they have left. Of course hiring the Ruby Rose was a popular choice. Besides, it'll be just like old times, you and me, fighting Grimm together." Weiss snuggled up a little closer, putting her free hand on Ruby's arm, her muscles were firm and toned from extremely rigorous training and constant battle, it made Weiss feel safe… but it also made her a little downcast. She had let herself slip, being the head of the SDC made keeping up her skill as a Huntress extremely difficult. She was still strong, but out of the four lovers Ruby was by far the most qualified Huntress, though to be fair, the same could be said of her in just about any company, Ruby was a warrior with very few peers on her level.

"So basically it's like a vacation but we'll both be working." Ruby said plainly as she felt her mind growing slow and hazy, the long flight and now Weiss comfortable warmth she shared with her made Ruby very, very sleepy.

"Slay a few Grimm, save a few dozen lives, all in a day's work for a Huntress. We should still have plenty of time to ourselves. Though they have asked us to stay on site for the next few days so you and I will get our own tent. Don't worry sweetheart, I'll make sure we have some fun." A small giggle escaped Weiss' lips as she ran her fingers down Ruby's bicep, tracing the shape of her powerful muscles.

"Heh-heh, maybe we could go out and lay on top of the sand dunes, look at the stars without the city lights in the way and pretend we're at a beach and have some fun in the sand." Ruby's voice was lively and playful as she tensed her arm muscles beneath Weiss' hand and tenderly kissed her forehead.

"' _Fun'_ in the sand sound great in theory, in practice however I foresee it being problematic. Besides, as romantic as it sounds, the desert can get pretty cold at night." Weiss' pragmatism totally ruined Ruby's fun/fantasy.

"You haven't changed a bit since Beacon, you're still a buzz kill." Ruby smiled fondly, wrapping her arm around Weiss' back as she held her close.

"And You're still a dolt." She retorted dreamily as sleep weighed heavy on eyelids and fogging her brain. "But you're my dolt and I love you."

"And you're still a beautiful, frustrating and amazing princess and I love you… with all my heart." Ruby could feel the last vestiges of consciousness slipping away as her body went limp, beside her she could hear the soft, rhythmic breaths of her fiance as she too succumbed to sleep.

The couple fell asleep in each other's warmth, feeling safe and happy.

* * *

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get 'em!" Yang huffed impatiently, sitting comfortably on a low tree branch above the ground. Beneath her Blake stood looking bored, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed over her chest, the couple looking down at four first year students who looked very much like they wanted to protest but knew better.

Krystal Skye, the leader of her team and the fox faunus girl who fought Ruby in combat class. She was an unusually tall girl with light brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a tan dress with white at her chest that hung down just below her knees designed to allow her large, brown bushy tail to be free and unrestricted. Resting on top of gold bracelets at her wrists were two large bladed hoops, these were her weapons, the Vain Seekers.

Beside Krystal was a tall, muscular boy with dark skin, short black hair tinted green on the sides and dazzling green eyes. His name was Peridot Bishop. He wore tattered jeans and a dark green hoodie, a belt of ammo crossed his chest and plates of silver armor guarded his shoulders. His weapon was a high powered revolver/grenade launcher.

Looking disinterestedly at her Scroll was a girl with shoulder length blonde hair with light blue eyes. She wore a white skirt with a light blue tank-top and black stockings with white high heeled shoes and a white beret on her head. She was Avalon Hue.

Lastly, a short girl with soft purple eyes and bright red hair tied into a side braid. She wore a denim vest over a purple strip of fabric tied around her chest, leaving her belly exposed. At her waist she wore tattered white shorts. Her weapons were her Spite Virtues, dual karambit knives attached to wrist mounted spools with strong retractable chains. Her name was Thistle Tsvetok. Together, the four of them were a promising first year team called Team APKT (Apricot).

"We've been fighting literally all day, you're both huntresses, we kinda thought we'd at least get to see you fight!" Thistle growled indignantly.

"Come on Thistle, we're here to learn and get stronger, we do that by fighting." Peridot shrugged, he could feel his team didn't wholly disagree with Thistle's sentiment.

"Well it doesn't matter, they're coming." They all turned at the unusually dark tone in their leader's voice. She was facing away from them, her weapons ready. Rapidly approaching the group was a pack of Beowolves led by an Alpha.

Yang and Blake watched patiently as her students braced themselves, taking their fighting stances. The pack was upon them, the most powerful, the larger Alpha hung back as they younger, weaker Grimm charged. _That one's smart, what a pain in the ass, it might be too much for them to handle. Oh well, if it comes to that I'll step in._

The first shot fired, Peridot taking one Grimm out with a single headshot, using his gun to precise and devastating effect. Beside him Thistle ran in with a reckless charge, her knives dragging behind her as her chains extended. The air around her hissed and crackled as she grinned wildly, eating up the adrenaline and excitement of combat. She swung her arm forward sending her recurved knife flying at a Beowolf as it ran towards her before it was ripped apart by a powerful concussive shockwave the expanded rapidly from the end of her knife.

Meanwhile Krystal took a more methodical approach, flanking the pack. With a strong throw she hurled her hoops like frisbees, a glyph lighting up on the inside as they rushed over the ground, leaving a trail of ice in its wake for her to slide on as the guided her weapon, it responding to the position of her bracelets and as she pulled on it, it pulled on her, boosting her speed along the ice as she wove in between the Grimm, slashing at them as she slid by with her remaining hoop.

Avalon walked calmly through the frey. With a sigh she took her eyes off of her Scroll and gripped it tight, suddenly a long katana shot out from the top of the Scroll's case while metal rings surrounded her fingers forming spiked knuckles. A Beowolf lunged at her but without even flinching she sliced it across the belly and kicked it out of her way as she walked towards the Alpha.

 _Impressive._ Yang smiled excitedly. This was the first time she'd seen them fight as a team. In class half of Team APKT were slackers despite excelling at combat, but she'd only ever seen one really fight and that was when the team's leader fought her sister in an extremely one sided battle. _They're not half bad against the weaker Grimm but it looks like Avalon is going straight for the prize while her teammates cut down the others, let's see how they deal with it._

In very little time the team of students was half finished with the weaker Beowolves. Avalon stood calmly in the face of the Alpha, it towered over her but she simply looked up into its eyes and reached out her hand. In the next moment… Avalon collapsed, her body lying limp on the grassy floor while the Alpha stood looking down at her.

"No!" Yang jumped from the tree, her heart racing as her Ember Celica transformed into their gauntlet form, ready to jump to the rescue. However, the Grimm ignored the child and instead… it began attacking the other Grimm, its massive claws ripping the remaining Beowolves apart!

The rest of Team APKT seemed to relax, Thistle even putting her hands behind her head as she watched one Grimm massacre the others while Yang and Blake were left gawking in confused astonishment.

All the other Grimm were dead, their bodies evaporating while the Alpha stood still. After a moment, it seemed to look around before turning to the three conscious members of the student team and then… _Is- is it giving them a thumbs up!?_

"Alright, just hold still!" Thistle grinned excitedly as she retracted her chains, bringing her knives back into her hands.

"Just hold on a little bit longer." Kristal reared back her hoop, her expression more serious as she readied to attack. Beside her Peridot flicked a switch on his gun, turning on the lower barrel that dispensed the grenades from its magazine.

In the next instant they all attacked, thistle running up to get close, an explosion ringing out through the forest as she propelled her arm to inhuman speeds with her Semblance, severing the Alpha's arm. At the other side Krystal threw both her hoops, one cutting the beast's other arm while the other flew up above its head, casting her glyph she trapped it in a pillar of ice, leaving only its head exposed before recalling her hoops, effortlessly catching them. Peridot took aim and let off a rapid succession of blasts, four of grenades exploded in the Grimm's face, taking its head off, its body dissolving, leaving only the ice behind.

A short distance away… Avalon struggled to her feet. Her weapon in one hand while her other hand clutched her head. Her team sheathed their weapons as they ran to her side, Thistle putting her teammate's arm around her shoulders as she helped her up.

"That one was strong, I almost lost control a few times." Avalon sighed as she retracted the sword and knuckles back into her Scroll's case.

"Anyone want to tell me what the hell that was?" Yang walked up to them with Blake close behind.

"It's my semblance." Avalon shrugged. "I can possess Grimm, I put my own soul into one and I can control it, but my body basically goes to sleep while I do that so I don't like doing it without my team."

"Wow…" Blake blinked in surprise, her eyebrows raised and her cat ears pointed up. "That's quite a Semblance."

"It has a lot of drawbacks, if a Grimm is too powerful I can't get out on my own until it's killed… like that Alpha Beowolf. A very strong Grimm can even take back control and I'm just stuck in there... seeing everything it does." Her blue eyes dulled as she looked down, her grip tightening around her Scroll, getting lost in something that seemed far in the past, but still fresh in her mind. Yang could only imagine how terrifying it must be, but couldn't help but be proud of the judgment she had shown. That Alpha Beowolf would likely have been too much for her team if she didn't hold it down for them.

"It's okay, the fight's over now." Thistle smiled, gently putting her hand on her teammate's shoulder.

"She's right, and we still have a lot of ground to cover before it gets dark." Yang's gauntlets retracted to her wrists. "Come on."

Yang led the way with Blake by her side and her four students following close behind. However, something worse than a creature of Grimm stalked them from the trees. A man sat crouching on a high branch smiling gleefully as he watched the unsuspecting group walk away, his scorpion tail swaying impatiently back and forth.

"Very interesting… hah-hah-hah! Very interesting indeed!"

* * *

"My butt hurts!" Ruby whined as she stretched, Weiss standing beside her shaking her head. After a nine hour flight and a three hour drive across the desert, they had finally made it to the mine. It was a massive operation, the area that had been dug out was like a giant crater in the middle of the desert. Trucks filled with Dust and rocks drove out while excavating machines and miners drove in. Tents and huts and outhouses surrounded the giant hole… the SDC certainly spared no expense on this dig.

"Ruby, I brought you here to restore confidence in the workers and assure them that their safety is the our number one priority, you can't be complaining already." Weiss folded her arms over her chest as she scolded her girlfriend and at the moment… employee. _Actually, that's kinda hot, maybe we could do some kind of role play later tonight._

"But my ass fell asleep!" She pouted, vigorously rubbing her butt desperate to get feeling back.

"Just stretch or something, you'll be fine." With her face resting in her palm she shook her head disheartenedly. _Ruby's name alone should inspire confidence in everyone here but if she keeps this up they'll start to wonder… at least until they see her fight._

"Grimm!" A terrified scream came as a group of men ran over a sand dune on the far side of the mine! After a moment of frantic running… a massive Deathstalker exploded out from the sand chasing them.

"Looks like you're going to get to stretch after all." Weiss reached into her purse and pulled out a familiar hilt with a revolver. With a flick of her wrist, the blade extended out from the center as she stood wielding her weapon Myrtenaster!

"It's just a Deathstalker, I'll take care of it." Ruby smiled, excitement and energy alive in her eyes as she reached toward her back.

 ** _Whooosh!_**

Ruby was gone, a cloud of sand kicked up in her wake as she crossed the large distance between where they had stood and where the Grimm was. She had only gotten faster with age and training, and Weiss knew that by the time she caught up… Ruby would have already won.

She came to a sliding stop in between the men and the beast, her cape flowing dramatically behind her as she held her sword out in both hands, aimed right at her foe. Just as she thought, it lost all interesting pursuing its fleeing prey as it came to a stop, its many eyes glaring at the young woman who stood before it.

 _Okay, maybe this vacation won't be so bad._ With a cocksure grin Ruby gripped her sword just a little tight, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Ruby blitzed forward, rose petals scattering behind her as she attacked! She zoomed right in between its pincers and thrust her sword forward with all her weight and speed behind it, the length of her large sword stabbing into the Deathstalker's face. The beast let out a shrill scream of agony, but Ruby wasn't finished with it yet!

Her sword burst into flames, exploding it out of the monster's hide and in a fluid motion she spun around while her sword's two parallel blades rose up, one restricting part of the way into the other as the hilt extending, turning her sword into her scythe just an instant before the Grimm's stinger easily as large as herself slammed into the sand where she once stood… with her flaming scythe slung over her shoulder and the blades on the other side of its tail.

Again she used her Semblance, she sheer force of her movement giving her scythe enough force to sever its stinger in one easy motion before she swung the tip down with all her might into the thinest part of its pincer! The Deathstalker let out another shriek of pain as its limb became useless, barely hanging onto its body after Ruby's attack.

It furiously tried to grab her with its remaining pincer but Ruby easily vaulted out of the way, landing on her feet at its side. With a devious grin she held her flaming scythe out and crouched before exploding forward in a blur of fire and rose petals, her scythe easily cutting through all of its legs on its side before she came skidding to a stop behind it.

 _Alright, I guess I should finish it off now or Weiss will scold me for having too much fun. I mean, it's not like I'm getting paid hourly anyway._ With a quick giggle at her own thoughts she shook herself back into focus. She reared back her scythe, resting the middle of the shaft at her hip before the flames grew more and more intense, turning into a raging inferno at her back. She pooled her aura and tensed her muscles.

 _ **Whooosh!**_

Ruby blitzed at the incapacitated Deathstalker at blistering speeds, throwing herself into a spin as she cloaked herself in fire. Then… an explosion of fire and shock-waves exploded where she and the Grimm once stood, sand and embers were blown away along with dissolving pieces of the Grimm. In the center of the destruction Ruby stood with her flaming scythe over her shoulder in the middle of a scorched crater. _The Ruby Meteor never fails, but it does take a toll on my aura, I could use a snack and a nap now. Maybe I got carried away just a little bit._

"Ruby!" Weiss tone was less than pleased.

 _Uh-oh_ Ruby smiled sheepishly as Weiss came to a stop, hitting the breaks on her dune buggy before getting out and slamming the door, looking even less thrilled than she sounded.

"Now Weiss, before you get mad I-" Ruby was immediately silenced as Weiss threw herself at her, wrapping her arms around a very confused Ruby.

"I'm not mad you Dolt… just don't be so reckless." Weiss' voice was soft and strained with worry and sadness. A small smile formed from Ruby lips as she snuffed out her flames and dropped her weapon, returning the embrace as she held her girlfriend tight. "We're supposed to be a team… but I just slow you down now."

"I'd fight by your side any day, you know that princess."

As the the two lovers embraced, they had no idea that they were being watched. Two men stood at the top of a far sand dune, one watching with binoculars.

"They brought a huntress with them." A large man with a heavy accent in a Grimm mask scoffed, handing over the binoculars to his associate. "She's strong too. So, what do we do now… Adam."

"We stick the the plan." His voice was dripping with malice and rage as he gripped the hilt of his sword, his long red and black jacket flowing in the hot wind.

"We attack at dawn."


End file.
